▁( O AU ; ▁) ▁was ▁an ▁inter g overn ment al ▁organization ▁established ▁on ▁ 2 5 ▁May ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁in ▁Add is ▁Ab aba , ▁Eth iop ia , ▁with ▁ 3 2 ▁sign atory ▁govern ments . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁heads ▁for ▁O AU ' s ▁establishment ▁was ▁K w ame ▁N k rum ah ▁of ▁Gh ana . ▁It ▁was ▁dis band ed ▁on ▁ 9 ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁by ▁its ▁last ▁chair person , ▁South ▁African ▁President ▁Th ab o ▁M be ki , ▁and ▁replaced ▁by ▁the ▁African ▁Union ▁( AU ). ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁key ▁a ims ▁of ▁the ▁O AU ▁were ▁to ▁encou rage ▁political ▁and ▁economic ▁integration ▁among ▁member ▁states , ▁and ▁to ▁er ad icate ▁colonial ism ▁and ▁ne o - colon ial ism ▁from ▁the ▁African ▁continent . ▁Although ▁it ▁achieved ▁some ▁success , ▁there ▁were ▁also ▁differences ▁of ▁opinion ▁as ▁to ▁how ▁that ▁was ▁going ▁to ▁be ▁achieved . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁O AU ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁in ▁Add is ▁Ab aba , ▁Eth iop ia , ▁by ▁ 3 2 ▁African ▁states ▁with ▁the ▁main ▁aim ▁of ▁bringing ▁the ▁African ▁nations ▁together ▁and ▁resolve ▁the ▁issues ▁within ▁the ▁continent . ▁Its ▁first ▁ever ▁conference ▁was ▁held ▁on ▁ 1 ▁May ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁in ▁Add is ▁Ab aba . ▁At ▁that ▁conference , ▁the ▁late ▁G amb ian ▁historian — and ▁one ▁of ▁the