Nigeria, Aug. 26 -- Since its inception in 2002 the African Union has been under pressure to resolve the extensive peace and security challenges facing the continent. In particular, it's tried to address the limitations faced by its predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity's (OAU), in this area.

The biggest change has been the shift away from the OAU's so-called non-interference stance to the AU's more interventionist approach. This is most explicitly found in Article 4 of the AU Constitutive Act.

The AU's African Peace and Security Architecture was established when the organisation adopted the Protocol on the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council in July 2002. It is guided by the AU's mandate and its interventionist app...