The Sovereignty Factor in the Context of the African Union’s Policy on Integrative Border Governance – JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE FOR AFRICAN STUDIES

Author:

Bulanakova M.A.¹

Affiliation:

1. Northwestern Institute of Management, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation

Abstract:

This article examines the African Union’s (AU) strategies for strengthening the sovereignty of African states—a core driver of the region’s political development—within the framework of its cross‑border policy. The study centers on the potential of African state sovereignty and how it evolves under AU initiatives, with a focus on the AU’s regional policy of integrated border management. The aim is to evaluate how the AU’s integrated border management policy shapes the sovereign development of African states. The analysis draws on theoretical approaches to political borders as tools for sovereign state development. Since decolonization, state border policies have reflected political maturity and ideological orientation—spanning neoliberal, Marxist, and рostmodern traditions. The meaning of political borders in Africa is tied not only to the capacities of sovereign states but also to the interplay between pan‑Africanism and state nationalism. A key insight of the research is the significance of cross‑border management challenges. The concept of transborderness poses critical questions about the relationship between state sovereignty and regionalism in intra‑African relations. Against the backdrop of Africa’s growing agency and the “African solutions to African problems” principle, states across the continent grapple with defining their political identity while working to foster inclusive political practices. AU initiatives to regulate borders and address postcolonial legacies affecting sovereignty serve as a crucial mechanism for building an integrated political space in Africa.

Keywords:

regionalism, sovereignty, pan-Africanism, “weak state”, cross-border, uti possidetis juris, Niamey Convention

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Received: 07.05.2025
Revised: 12.09.2025
Accepted: 12.12.2025

For citation:

Bulanakova M.A. (2025). The Sovereignty Factor in the Context of the African Union’s Policy on Integrative Border Governance. Journal of the Institute for African Studies. Vol. 11. № 4. Pp. 28–44. https://doi.org/10.31132/2412-5717-2025-73-4-28-44

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