Abstract
The contribution deals with present security architecture changes in Africa in connection with the transformation of the Organisation of African Unity into the African Union. A part of these changes is the Unions’ right to intervention, which makes the Constituting Act of the African Union the only international treaty to encompass such right.
However, many questions in this regard remain open, such as the question of legitimacy and conformity with the UN Charter. A part of the new developments is the establishment of African Standby Forces, the purpose of which is to provide the African Union with capabilities to respond conflicts and crises situations.
The first deployments of ASF, however, have shown that the Unions’ peace and security concept still faces serious difficulties, hampering the efforts to establish an effective African conflict management and resolution system.