CHALLENGES OF THE AFRICAN UNION MISSION IN SUDAN: GROUNDED THEORY CASE STUDY 2004-2007 FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF US SENIOR OFFICIALS

Abstract

The African nations determined that an African continental body was needed to specifically address the African States’ needs for self-determination in addressing African problems, rather than relying on outside assistance, specifically for intervention determination. The African Union (AU) rose from the ashes of the former Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 2002 to address this. Central to the African Union is the capability to mount and sustain peace-support and peacekeeping missions on the continent of Africa. Just such a mission presented itself to the AU in 2004 in the Darfur region of western Sudan. This study assesses the key factors of the AU leadership, organization, US Support and communication in executing African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) from its inception in 2004 through its conclusion in 2007 prior to the United Nations-African Union Hybrid Mission, UNAMID, using the perceptions of United States (US) senior officials who were involved with and interacted with AMIS. The dissertation is a qualitative study using the case study method, capturing the perceptions of eight US senior officials addressing organization, leadership, US support and communications. The theoretical framework used were transformational leadership, cross-cultural communications, organizational and grounded theory. The data suggested that the AU was lauded by the US officials for its decision to engage with the execution of AMIS, although the AU was severely challenged by a shortage of resources, personnel, organic logistical base, equipment, training, experience, modern communications, and organizational structure. AMIS was hampered by impediments of the host nation, Sudan, and the ability of the AU to request and receive US Support. This case study examined the US leaders’ perceptions of the leadership and communication organization of the AU and its challenges for intervention in an intrastate genocide within the continent of Africa—the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan. An analysis of the case study of a major African-led and directed peace-support operation, such as AMIS, in reaction to the Darfur crisis may serve as a significant interest in lessons learned for future US interaction for a future peace operation by the AU.