ph ou ë t - Bo igny ▁of ▁the ▁I v ory ▁Coast ▁led ▁the ▁pro - cap ital ists . ▁Because ▁of ▁these ▁divisions , ▁it ▁was ▁difficult ▁for ▁the ▁O AU ▁to ▁take ▁action ▁against ▁states ▁involved ▁in ▁internal ▁conflicts ▁because ▁it ▁could ▁rarely ▁reach ▁an ▁agreement ▁on ▁what ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁done . ▁ ▁The ▁O AU ▁did ▁play ▁a ▁p iv otal ▁role ▁in ▁er adic ating ▁colonial ism ▁and ▁white ▁minor ity ▁rule ▁in ▁Africa . ▁It ▁gave ▁weapons , ▁training ▁and ▁military ▁bases ▁to ▁re bel ▁groups ▁fighting ▁white ▁minor ity ▁and ▁colonial ▁rule . ▁Gr oups ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁AN C ▁and ▁P AC , ▁fighting ▁apart heid , ▁and ▁Z AN U ▁and ▁Z AP U , ▁fighting ▁to ▁to pp le ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁Rh odes ia , ▁were ▁a ided ▁in ▁their ▁endeav ours ▁by ▁the ▁O AU . ▁African ▁har b ours ▁were ▁closed ▁to ▁the ▁South ▁African ▁government , ▁and ▁South ▁African ▁aircraft ▁were ▁prohib ited ▁from ▁flying ▁over ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁continent . ▁The ▁UN ▁was ▁convinced ▁by ▁the ▁O AU ▁to ▁exp el ▁South ▁Africa ▁from ▁bodies ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁World ▁Health ▁Organ ization . ▁ ▁The ▁O AU ▁also ▁worked ▁with ▁the ▁UN ▁to ▁ease ▁refuge e ▁problems . ▁It ▁set ▁up ▁the ▁African ▁Development ▁Bank ▁for ▁economic ▁projects ▁intended ▁to ▁make ▁Africa ▁finan cially ▁stronger . ▁Although ▁all ▁African ▁countries ▁eventually ▁won ▁their ▁independence , ▁it ▁remained ▁difficult ▁for ▁them ▁to ▁become ▁totally ▁independent ▁of ▁their