AU should emulate EU by standing firm against human rights violations in African countries

There is a reason why the European Union (EU) is viewed as a model of international integration. For a country to join and stay in EU, according to the Copenhagen Criteria, the country has to have stable institutions guaranteeing democracy, rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities. In most instances, these countries do abide by the rules set by the commission in terms of human rights, democracy and respect for the rule of law. That is why African states must rise and try modeling the African Union (AU) the EU way.

As it is, the AU lets itself down by virtually admitting every applicant within the African continent - including countries with gross human rights violations like Eritrea. Eritrea is one of the poorest countries in the world and has had a poor human rights record for a long time now.