1. Ottaway, M. 1999.Africa, Foreign Affairs20–21. Spring The very subjective variables that are used in this discussion are also demonstrated by Ottaway
2. There is an interesting coincidence between Salim Ahmed Salim's appointment in 1989 and Abbas Bundu's appointment around the same period. In Salim's acceptance speech, he stated,inter alia:“we are nearing the end of the second most difficult decade for Africa. These have been decades of near economic disintegration, of disasters and acute human suffering…[B]ut [I] recognise that in the long run, Africa's development is Africa's own responsibility…Africa needs to get organised…to shake off Africa's Image of a continent…where human life is taken for granted…These are shared problems. Cooperation is the key to fully integrated and centrally coordinated strategy to deal with them.” WestAfrica, op cit (emphasis added)
3. The OAU is concerned enough with the different initiatives to resolve African conflicts without resort to African initiatives that it had to make its concerns clear.See OAU's position towards the various initiatives on conflict management: Enhancing OAU's capacity in preventive diplomacy, conflict resolution and peacekeeping, Central Organ/MEC/MIN/3 (TV)