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Member states

The AU is made up of 55 Member States which represent all the countries on the African continent. AU Member States are divided into five geographic regions. which were defined by the OAU in 1976 (CM/Res.464QCXVI).

The following list shows all members states grouped by region, in alphabetical order, and their date of joining the AU or its predecessor the OAU.

Central Africa

Member StateAbbreviationDate of joining
the OAU or AU
Republic of BurundiBurundi25 May 1963
Republic of CameroonCameroon25 May 1963
Central African RepublicCentral African Republic25 May 1963
Republic of ChadChad25 May 1963
Republic of the CongoCongo Republic25 May 1963
Democratic Republic of CongoDR Congo25 May 1963
Republic of Equatorial GuineaEquatorial Guinea12 October 1968
Gabonese RepublicGabon25 May 1963
Democratic Republic of São Tomé and PríncipeSão Tomé and Príncipe18 July 1975

Eastern Africa

Member StateAbbreviationDate of joining the OAU or AU
Union of the Comoros Comoros 18 July 1975
Republic of Djibouti Djibouti 27 June 1977
State of Eritrea Eritrea 24 May 1993
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Ethiopia 25 May 1963
Republic of Kenya Kenya 25 May 1963
Republic of Madagascar Madagascar 25 May 1963
Republic of Mauritius Mauritius August 1968
Republic of Rwanda Rwanda 25 May 1963
Republic of Seychelles Seychelles 29 June 1976
Federal Republic of Somalia Somalia 25 May 1963
Republic of South Sudan South Sudan 27 July 2011
Republic of the Sudan Sudan 25 May 1963
United Republic of Tanzania Tanzania 25 May 1963
Republic of Uganda Uganda 25 May 1963

Northern Africa

Member StateAbbreviationDate of joining the OAU or AU
People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria Algeria 25 May 1963
Arab Republic of Egypt Egypt 25 May 1963
Libya Libya 25 May 1963
Islamic Republic of Mauritania Mauritania 25 May 1963
Kingdom of Morocco Morocco 1963/31 January 2017
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Sahrawi Republic 22 February 1982
Republic of Tunisia Tunisia 25 May 1963

Southern Africa

Member StateAbbreviationDate of joining
the OAU or AU
Republic of Angola Angola 11 February 1975
Republic of Botswana Botswana 31 October 1966
Kingdom of Eswatini Eswatini 24 September 1968
Kingdom of Lesotho Lesotho 31 October 1966
Republic of Malawi Malawi 13 July 1964
Republic of Mozambique Mozambique 18 July 1975
Republic of Namibia Namibia June 1990
Republic of South Africa South Africa 6 June 1994
Republic of Zambia Zambia 16 December 1964
Republic of Zimbabwe Zimbabwe 18 June 1980

Western Africa

Member StateAbbreviationDate of joining
the OAU or AU
Republic of Benin Benin 25 May 1963
Burkina Faso Burkina Faso 25 May 1963
Republic of Cabo Verde Cabo Verde 18 July 1975
Republic of Côte d’Ivoire Côte d’Ivoire 25 May 1963
Republic of the Gambia Gambia 9 March 1965
Republic of Ghana Ghana 25 May 1963
Republic of Guinea Guinea 25 May 1963
Republic of Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau 19 November 1973
Republic of Liberia Liberia 25 May 1963
Republic of Mali Mali 25 May 1963
Republic of Niger Niger 25 May 1963
Federal Republic of Nigeria Nigeria 25 May 1963
Republic of Senegal Senegal 25 May 1963
Republic of Sierra Leone Sierra Leone 25 May 1963
Togolese Republic Togo 25 May 1963