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 ...

On Unconstitutional Changes of Government: The Case of Libya’s NTC

Mehari Taddele Maru, Programme Head, African Conflict Prevention Programme, ISS Addis Ababa Office. The African Union (AU) High-Level ad hoc committee on Libya in its 14 September 2011 meeting, held in Pretoria, South Africa, reviewed the situation in Libya. The Communiqué of the ad hoc committee indicates the continuous communication between the AU Commission and ...

How the AU Should Have Recognised the Libyan NTC

How the AU Should Have Recognised the Libyan NTC
During its 291st Meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council, the African Union (AU) failed to officially recognise the National Transitional Council (NTC) in Libya. It indicated that it would grant recognition only when an ‘all-inclusive transitional government’ is established in Libya. For this reason, the former Libyan representatives to the AU, who are ...

Korea Looks to Old Ties to Share Secrets of Development

The visit by the Korean President demonstrates its growing commitments in Ethiopia and the rest of Africa, and an opportunity for the continent to learn from Korea’s extraordinary path to development, argues Mehari Taddele Maru, Mehari.maru(at)stcross-oxford.com, who works as a conflict prevention programme coordinator in an international organisation. He has also served as legal expert ...

The Kampala Convention and its contribution in filling the protection gap in international law

The Kampala Convention and its contribution in filling the protection gap in international law
In October 2009, the African Union (AU) Summit in Kampala, Uganda, adopted the AU Convention on the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons (the Kampala Convention). The principal objective of this research project is to examine a few major provisions of the Kampala Convention and offer a legal analysis of its content, novelty and ...

Articles on the Kampala Convention

http://www.sudantribune.com/A-Strategy-for-a-peaceful,22713 http://ajol.info/index.php/ai/article/view/54669 http://ajol.info/index.php/ai/issue/view/7281 http://www.accord.org.za/publications/conflict-trends/downloads/724- http://www.africa-union.org/root/UA/Newsletter/EA/Fridays_of_the_Commission/2010/AUC%20Vol1%20FF%20Low%20Res.pdf http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2010/s2834100.htm http://en.ethiopianreporter.com/content/view/1282/1/ http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2009/s2686187.htm

Arms control and arms traditions in Ethiopia. Mehari Taddele Maru

Arms control and arms traditions in Ethiopia. Mehari Taddele Maru
Ethiopia is party to the Nairobi Protocol for Prevention, Control in Reduction of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa (Nairobi Protocol), which compels signatories to dispose of confiscated and unlicensed small arms and light weapons (SALWs). This provision is also included in Ethiopian law. According to ...

Chinese Economics: Example for Africa

With the recently held Fourth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and China’s 10 billion dollar pledge for Africa, the pundits and the media are questioning the relationship. Chinese Economics: Example for Africa

Diversity in Ethiopia

Diversity in Ethiopia
Multiethnic Ethiopia has miraculously remained intact despite a dizzying 30 years that has seen it go from a monarchy to communism to a transition to democracy all while having to endure several droughts, famines and oppressive poverty. Diversity in Ethiopia