The African Union (AU) is saddled with one of these challenges and that is

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for a real challenge facing the African Union (AU). The AU is a continental organization of 55 member states, founded in 2002 to replace the OAU, with the aim of promoting unity, peace, security and development.

Step 2: Explain the concept The AU's challenges are mostly political, financial and security-related. Common ones include:

• Political disagreements and mistrust among member states
• Border and territorial disputes
• Coups, civil wars and terrorism
• Overdependence on foreign donors for funding
• Overlapping memberships in regional bodies (ECOWAS, SADC, etc.)
• Reluctance of states to give up sovereignty

Step 3: Evaluate the options

• A. Absence of rich natural resources: False. Africa is very rich in natural resources such as oil, gold, diamonds and cocoa.
• B. Tensions and political discord among member states: True. Disagreements over leadership, sovereignty, coups, and conflict responses (for example, Libya, Sudan, and the Sahel states) weaken the AU's ability to act together.
• C. Inter-ethnic extinction and poor social cohesion: False. "Ethnic extinction" is not an AU challenge, and the AU is an organization of states, not of ethnic groups.
• D. Weak labour force: False. Africa has a large and youthful population, which is considered an asset.

Step 4: Answer The correct option is B.

Tip: In Government questions on international organizations (AU, ECOWAS, UN), the correct challenge is usually about politics, funding, or conflict. Options saying a continent lacks resources or manpower are usually distractors.