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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 member states grouped by region, in alphabetical order, along with their date of joining the AU or its predecessor, the OAU.

Central Africa

Member State

 Abbreviation

Date of joining
the OAU or AU

Republic of Burundi Burundi25 May 1963
Republic of Cameroon Cameroon25 May 1963
Central African Republic Central African Republic25 May 1963 
Republic of Chad Chad25 May 1963
Republic of the Congo Congo Republic25 May 1963
Democratic Republic of Congo DR Congo25 May 1963
Republic of Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea12 October 1968
Gabonese Republic Gabon25 May 1963
Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe  São Tomé and Príncipe18 July 1975

Eastern Africa

Member State

 Abbreviation

 Date of joining
the OAU or AU

Union of the Comoros  Comoros18 July 1975
Republic of Djibouti  Djibouti27 June 1977
State of Eritrea  Eritrea24 May 1993
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Ethiopia25 May 1963
Republic of Kenya Kenya25 May 1963
Republic of Madagascar Madagascar25 May 1963
Republic of Mauritius  MauritiusAugust 1968
Republic of Rwanda Rwanda25 May 1963
Republic of Seychelles  Seychelles29 June 1976
Federal Republic of Somalia Somalia25 May 1963
Republic of South Sudan South Sudan27 July 2011
Republic of the Sudan Sudan25 May 1963
United Republic of Tanzania Tanzania25 May 1963
Republic of Uganda Uganda25 May 1963

Northern Africa

Member State

Abbreviation

Date of joining
the OAU or AU

People’s Democratic Republic of AlgeriaAlgeria25 May 1963
Arab Republic of EgyptEgypt25 May 1963
LibyaLibya25 May 1963
Islamic Republic of MauritaniaMauritania25 May 1963
Kingdom of MoroccoMorocco1963/31 January 2017
Sahrawi Arab Democratic RepublicSahrawi Republic22 February 1982
Republic of TunisiaTunisia25 May 1963

Southern Africa

Member State

 Abbreviation

Date of joining
the OAU or AU

 Republic of Angola  Angola11 February 1975
 Republic of Botswana  Botswana31 October 1966
 Kingdom of Eswatini  Eswatini24 September 1968
 Kingdom of Lesotho  Lesotho31 October 1966
 Republic of Malawi  Malawi13 July 1964
 Republic of Mozambique  Mozambique18 July 1975
 Republic of Namibia  NamibiaJune 1990
 Republic of South Africa South Africa6 June 1994
 Republic of Zambia  Zambia16 December 1964
 Republic of Zimbabwe  Zimbabwe18 June 1980

Western Africa

Member State

 Abbreviation

 Date of joining
the OAU or AU

 Republic of Benin  Benin25 May 1963
 Burkina Faso Burkina Faso25 May 1963
 Republic of Cabo Verde  Cabo Verde18 July 1975
 Republic of Côte d’Ivoire  Côte d’Ivoire25 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

African Union Headquarters Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

P.O. Box 3243, Roosvelt Street W21K19