Recent weeks have seen a flurry of diplomatic activity surrounding the African Union, as the body seeks to establish itself as a major player in resolving challenges facing the continent.
Earlier this month, the United States inaugurated its largest embassy in Sub-Saharan Africa in Addis Ababa, which will host both the U.S. mission to Ethiopia and to the African Union.
Stateside, The Washington City Paper reports that the African Union has purchased, for the price of 6.5 million, a historic building on Wisconsin Avenue to house the expansion of its U.S. consulate.
The U.S. and AU established formal diplomatic ties in 2007, with the U.S. being the first government to open a dedicated mission to the African Union.
This week, the United Nations also opened a permanent office to the African Union, known as UNOAU, a sign of good faith that the world body is dedicated to assisting the budding AU tackle challenges related to security and development.
And China is slated to complete construction of a $150 million headquarters for the African Union later this year.
But how is the body faring on tackling continental issues? The Economist weighs in with cautious optimism, noting recent achievements of the AU in terms of governance, but warns that the ways of old (poor staffing, wavering on big issues and lack of funds) will continue to hamper the organization as it did its predecessors.
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