Despite several regional and international measures to reduce the incessant nature of armed conflict in Africa, many nations, especially Ethiopia, have remained enmeshed in a vicious circle, leading to state fragmentation. Relying on liberal institutional theory, qualitative methods and secondary sources, this article attempts to explore the trends and dynamics characterising the nature of the African Union’s (AU) intervention in the Ethiopia–Tigray conflict and its impact on nation building. This study argues that the mass atrocities carried out by the Ethiopian government and the Tigrayan fighters meet the genocide threshold and deserve global and regional interventions. However, the wobbly position of the AU on these horrendous acts tacitly endorses more attacks against the civilian population, disrupts the nation-building process, and undermines the AU’s commitment to ending mass atrocities. These acts not only bring back sad memories of the holocaust but also demonstrate that the African continent has yet to learn from such horrific experiences. This underscores the need for an affirmative AU intervention in the lingering crisis via strict condemnation, sanctioning of those culpable of violence and