The appeasement of genocide perpetrators and violent actors is a recurring tragedy in Africa, perpetuating cycles of conflict and underdevelopment. The African Union (AU), despite its mandate to promote peace and justice, has often failed to hold perpetrators accountable, opting instead for diplomatic platitudes that embolden aggressors. This pattern is evident in the AU’s historical reluctance to confront leaders like Abiy Ahmed and Isaias Afeworki , whose regimes were implicated in mass atrocities . The current AU chairman’s rhetoric of Abiy’s leaderships performance , without addressing impunity, echoes this dangerous tradition of prioritising political prostitution over justice .
The consequences of such appeasement are dire. By failing to dismantle the structures of genocide denial—as seen in Tigray , where revisionists distort history to evade accountability—the AU inadvertently enables future violence . The Rwandan genocide demonstrated how unchecked hatred, fueled by state-sponsored propaganda, can escalate into mass slaughter, while the international community, including African leaders, stood by . Today, similar dynamics play out in conflicts across East Africa, where underdevelopment and resource scarcity are exacerbated by unaddressed grievances and unpunished war crimes .
Africa’s chronic underdevelopment is not incidental but a direct result of this culture of impunity. When perpetrators are shielded, victims are denied reparations, and societies remain fractured. The AU’s failure to enforce the “Never Again” principle—by prosecuting war criminals and rejecting genocide denial—ensures that the continent remains trapped in a vicious cycle of violence and poverty . Until African leaders prioritize justice over appeasement, the continent will continue to be ravaged by wars and stunted by underdevelopment.
Just listen to the New AU Chairman’s from Djibouti pontificating how wonderful the criminal Abiy Ahmed is…..very bad start on his leadership role!
Still waiting for the Sunday zoom meeting invitation