This document discusses the African Union (AU) and its effectiveness in addressing African problems through African solutions. It provides background on the AU's predecessor, the Organization of African Unity (OAU), which struggled to respond to conflicts and unite Africans. The OAU declined in the 1980s. The AU was then established in 2001 with the goal of reform, though it faced skepticism due to Libyan leader Gaddafi's role in its formation. The document examines the AU's role in security issues as a case study for its capabilities and argues constructivism is a suitable paradigm for analyzing African issues.