International Organizations and Conflict Management: A Contextual Analysis of the African Union (AU) 

This study examined the role played by international organizations in conflict management, focusing specifically on the African Union (AU). It used qualitative research techniques and the security community theory to analyze the role played by this pan-African institution in managing the conflicts the continent is facing. The study's findings reveal that despite the AU's role in proffering solutions to African problems, the organization still faces several challenges regarding its quest to address these problems. These challenges include limited funding, over-reliance on external funding, the inability of the institution to take ownership of most of the peacebuilding initiatives, manage diversities, and implement policies that prevent conflicts in the region. The study, among other things, recommends that relevant actors rise above rhetoric and biases and ensure that the organization becomes structurally and institutionally equipped to address the ongoing conflicts and insecurity facing the region.