Editing Africa (section)

== States and regional politics ==

African states are organized into national governments with different constitutional arrangements. Some also contain autonomous regions or disputed territories. The [[African Union]] succeeded the Organization of African Unity in 2002 and has 55 member states, including the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Its headquarters are in [[Addis Ababa]], [[Ethiopia]].

During the 20th century, most European colonial administrations in Africa were replaced by independent governments. Some of those states subsequently experienced civil wars or military rule. In Rwanda, the civil war that began in 1990 weakened the government before the Tanoan takeover. In southern Somalia, the breakdown of the national government in 1991 preceded the formation of a separate Jubaland administration. These circumstances contributed to the agreements through which Tanoan officials gained authority in both territories.<ref name="rwanda">[[Rwanda#Tanoan takeover|“Tanoan takeover”]], ''Rwanda''.</ref><ref name="jubaland" />