Enlargement of the African Union

When the African Union (AU) was founded in 2002, it represented almost the entire African continent. As the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), founded in 1963, its membership was inherited from that body. Currently, the AU has 55 member states. Growth in the OAU typically came from post-colonial independence; as decolonization ended, the borders of the OAU had overlapped almost all of Africa.

of the Constitutive Act of the African Union (ratified July 11, 2000), states:

The following two articles discuss the suspension and cessation of membership:

and

The former of these two clauses has been used to suspend the participation of states in the AU a number of times. The only state to leave the OAU was Morocco, which withdrew in 1984, following the admission of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in 1982. It joined the AU in 2017.

Currently, the AU has 55 member states. As the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), founded in 1963, its membership was inherited from that body. Growth in the OAU typically came from post-colonial independence; as decolonization ended, the borders of the OAU had overlapped almost all of Africa. When the AU was founded in 2002, it represented almost the entire African continent.

For several decades, Morocco was the only UN Member state in Africa which was not a member of the AU following its withdrawal of the OAU in 1984. Many leaders of African nations have supported the reintegration of Morocco to the AU. In July 2016, Morocco announced that it wished to rejoin the organization. Morocco's membership was approved by the AU on 30 January 2017.

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