On unconstitutional changes of government

On unconstitutional changes of government
This short paper discusses the North African uprisings that led to the change of leadership in Tunisia and Egypt, and the issues surrounding the recognition of the National Transitional Council (NTC) of Libya by the African Union (AU) after the killing of Muammar Gaddafi . In doing so, the paper analyses the uprisings in North ...

A Humble Message to the New ICC Prosecutor-Elect

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has elected a new Chief Prosecutor to replace Luis Moreno-Ocampo. The Chief Prosecutor-elect, Fatou Bensouda, is an African and former Gambian Justice Minister and currently Deputy Persecutor of the ICC. The AU has been calling upon its member states to support the election of Bensouda. Africa has been complaining of ...

ICC and African leaders: the good, the bad and the ugly

The States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have elected a new Chief Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, an African former Gambian Justice Minister and Deputy Persecutor of ICC.  This succession comes as the ICC faces its most serious challenges from most African states, including a majority of the African States Parties. ...

انتخابات مفوضية الاتحاد الإفريقي أو الرقابة على الرقيب

شهدت إفريقيا في عام 2011 عددا وافرا من الانتخابات البرلمانية والرئاسية, فيما يمكن تسميته بـ”تعاقب الأجيال على الديمقراطية”. غير أن هذا التعاقب على الديمقراطية لا يبدو أنه يجد صدا لصوته في الانتخابات المرتقبة لمفوضية الاتحاد الإفريقي. وحين نراجع تاريخ الحراك الديمقراطي في إفريقيا يمكننا أن نلحظ كيف أنه مع مطلع الألفية الثالثة حدثت زيادة لافتة ...

Keeping Peace in Abyei: The Role and Contributions of Ethiopia

Since February 2011, Abyei and South Kordofan, oil rich disputed border areas of South Sudan and Sudan, witnessed an intensive military clash between the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) forces and the military of the Government of Sudan (GoS).  This reached a tipping point when the GoS forces took control of the town of Abyei ...

New Building Must See New Spirit, New African Union

The just-begun year will mark the first 10 years of the African Union (AU). This eventful decade has ended with a momentous year of uprisings, popular protests, and more than 28 elections that have changed Africa and the world. In light of this, the upcoming AU summit will provide an excellent opportunity to reflect on ...

Monitoring the Monitor: Elections at the African Union

With the many elections held in 2011, Africa witnessed what one may call a ‘generational progression on democracy’. Ironically, the nominations for the elections at the African Union Commission (AU Commission), which takes place in January 2012, reflects no such trend. Monitoring the Monitor: Elections at the African Union

ICC and African leaders: the good, the bad and the ugly

The International Criminal Court (ICC) and Africa—for quite sometime now—have endured a complex relationship. For Africa, ICC is ‘the Good’, the current Chief Prosecutor is ‘the Bad’, and African leaders of governments and rebel groups implicated human rights violations are however ‘the Ugly’ argues, Mehari Taddele Maru. ICC and African leaders: the good, the bad ...