A comprehensive examination of the work of the African Union (AU), with special emphasis on its capacity to meet the challenges of building and sustaining governance institutions and security mechanisms. Samuel Makinda and F. Wafula Okumu show how Africa and, in particular, the AU can effectively address the challenges of building and sustaining governance institutions and security mechanisms only if they have strategic leadership. Current debates on, and criticisms of, leadership in Africa are also analyzed as well as key options for overcoming the constraints that African leaders face. Core topics covered include: the colonial policies of the European powers the emergence of Pan-Africanism; the creation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1963; the evolution of the OAU into the AU in 2002; the AU's capacity to address poverty alleviation, conflict management and resolution, peacebuilding and humanitarian intervention.