, ▁the ▁O AU ▁was ▁power less ▁to ▁stop ▁them . ▁ ▁The ▁Organisation ▁was ▁pra ised ▁by ▁Gh ana ian ▁former ▁United ▁Nations ▁Secretary - General ▁K of i ▁Ann an ▁for ▁bringing ▁Afr icans ▁together . ▁Nevertheless , ▁in ▁its ▁ 3 9 ▁years ▁of ▁existence , ▁critics ▁argue ▁that ▁the ▁O AU ▁did ▁little ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁rights ▁and ▁libert ies ▁of ▁African ▁citizens ▁from ▁their ▁own ▁political ▁leaders , ▁often ▁dub bing ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁ ▁" Dict ators ' ▁Club " ▁or ▁" Dict ator ' s ▁Trade ▁Union ". ▁ ▁The ▁O AU ▁was , ▁however , ▁successful ▁in ▁some ▁respect s . ▁Many ▁of ▁its ▁members ▁were ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁UN , ▁too , ▁and ▁they ▁stood ▁together ▁within ▁the ▁latter ▁organisation ▁to ▁saf egu ard ▁African ▁interests ▁– ▁especially ▁in ▁respect ▁of ▁ling ering ▁colonial ism . ▁Its ▁purs uit ▁of ▁African ▁unity , ▁therefore , ▁was ▁in ▁some ▁ways ▁successful . ▁ ▁Total ▁unity ▁was ▁difficult ▁to ▁achieve , ▁however , ▁as ▁the ▁O AU ▁was ▁largely ▁divided . ▁The ▁former ▁French ▁colon ies , ▁still ▁dependent ▁on ▁France , ▁had ▁formed ▁the ▁Mon ro via ▁Group , ▁and ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁further ▁split ▁between ▁those ▁that ▁supported ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁those ▁that ▁supported ▁the ▁USS R ▁in ▁the ▁Cold ▁War ▁of ▁ide ologies . ▁The ▁pro - So cial ist ▁fa ction ▁was ▁led ▁by ▁Gh ana ' s ▁K w ame ▁N k rum ah , ▁while ▁F éli x ▁Hou