The African Union (AU) has been lauded for its gains in security on the African continent. Being the first regional intergovernmental organisation to undertake peace operations, its experience in this regard has contributed to redefining approaches in this exercise. However, a closer examination of its exploits reveals that the AU is more committed to preserving the liberal international order through peacekeeping that has at its core the promotion of democracy, thereby leaving little room for local approaches to conflict resolution in its dealings. This posture of the AU sometimes hinders its ability to resolve conflicts and finds the organisation working against African interests. Since its formation in 2002, the AU has taken up roles in addressing conflicts on the continent. It has enabled better synergy between Africa’s major Regional Economic Communities (RECs) through the effective utilisation of the Subsidiarity Principle, and its successes in conflict resolution through mediation and peace operations in Burundi, the Comoros, and Darfur led to the mantra ‘African Solutions to African Problems’. However, a closer inspection of the exploits of the AU gives little room for confidence in its ability to sincerely deliver peace. This is largely due to its funding handicap where the AU is dependent on external funding that gives its external benefactors the leverage to decide where and how conflict on the continent is addressed. Of course, the AU has voiced its displeasure over the overarching influence of external actors in its affairs. But this seldom accounts for much as observed in Muammar Gaddafi’s removal in 2011 where the AU, on African soil, was sidelined by NATO. Events in Somalia where

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