During the last ten years, the political landscape in Africa has changed profoundly towards constitutional order, political stability and democratization. Increasingly, African states have renounced the culture of military and single party rule and presidency for life. Multiparty democracy, new political and constitutional dispensations are now a common practice. Many African states have limited the presidential terms of office. African leaders are now relinquishing power through democratic elections. A new leadership style and culture are gradually emerging. Three major political trends are increasingly discernable as democracy takes root in Africa. The first is that the era of unconstitutional changes of government, particularly by the military, has sharply declined. This is anchored on the decision of the 36 th Summit of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) held in Algiers, Algeria in 1999, not to accept any unconstitutional change of government in member countries; this decision was later adopted as one of the major principles of the African Union, enshrined in its Constitutive Act. The second trend is that the proliferation of inter-state conflicts, which also characterized African politics in the post-independence period, principally, as a result of colonial demarcation of African boundaries, is also residual. The third trend marks a new wave of democracy in Africa in which democratic processes are being consolidated.

In spite of these welcome trends, positive political, social and economic changes within the African continent have been limited and sometimes undermined by a new generation of conflicts within a number of African States. Former African Heads of State and Government should be encouraged to support efforts aimed at addressing the scourge of these intra-state and inter-state conflicts. Indeed, these continue to hamper and slow down Africa's political transition to democratic governance and sustainable social and economic development. The new generation of conflicts is clearly associated with the structure and nature of power in a number of African states, unequal distribution of resources and wealth as well as the scope of social stratification along ethnic lines inherited from colonial regimes. It is encouraging to note that there is clear evidence of strong commitment and determination, on the part of African leaders, including those who have vacated office, to address decisively the present internal scourge of conflicts in Africa. Indeed, the commitment and determination of African leaders to move ahead with the democratization agenda remains firm.

It was for this reason that the OAU established the Commission for Mediation, Conciliation and Arbitration and subsequently the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution, which did a good job for the continent. With the creation of the AU, the Mechanism was replaced by the Peace and Security Council, with the objective of promoting peace and find solutions to the scourge of conflicts in Africa. The major objective of the OAU Mechanism had to deal with the scourge of conflicts in Africa. As the continent's democratization process continues to take root, concerted efforts are being deployed to avoid the politics of exclusion while efforts at the inculcation of a culture of political tolerance and inclusion in Africa are intensified. The transition from the OAU to the AU and the elaboration of NEPAD are a clear manifestation of the commitment of the leadership in Africa to the democratization of African societies. It also signifies the determination and commitment of African leaders to promote peace, security and sustainable development on the continent.