Africa
155 Articles

The Significance of the ICC’s First Guilty Plea
Yesterday Al Faqi Al Mahdi of Mali pled guilty at the International Criminal Court (ICC) to one count of directing an attack against buildings dedicated to religion and historic…

Guest Post: US Dollars and Kenya’s ‘Disappeared’
Just over a year ago, in May , 2015, Kenyan Border Patrol police arrested Hussein Ali Abdullahi from his shop in Wajir, northeastern Kenya, and took him to Wajir military camp.…

International Justice Day Round-Up I: Habre, Bashir Travel, Crimes Against Humanity in Mexico
The field of international criminal justice has witnessed a number of important developments this spring and summer—enough to merit a proverbial top-ten list. In honor of International…

The Good and Bad in the US Government’s Civilian Casualties Announcement
The US government on Friday, July 1 released long-sought information on its views as to how many people it has killed in drone and other strikes “outside areas of active hostilities,”…

The New African Commission General Comment on the Right to Life Is an Important Step Forward
During its final session of 2015 last month, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights adopted a General Comment on the right to life under the African Charter. General…

From Paris to Africa
In the wake of the worldwide reaction to the Paris attacks — which included statements by world leaders, extensive media coverage, public gatherings, monuments lit in the colors…

United States Intervention at the Meeting of the ICC’s Assembly of States Parties
The International Criminal Court’s Assembly of States Parties (ASP) is meeting this week in The Hague — its 14th session. On the agenda (and here) are a number of issues,…

The Unfolding Crisis of Presidential Succession in Central Africa
A growing crisis of governance and succession threatens peace and security in the countries of the Great Lakes region of Africa, where an outbreak of “god syndrome” among long-serving…

A Proper Response to the Massacre at Kenya’s Garissa University College
The magnitude of last week’s massacre at Garissa University College in Kenya, located roughly 100 miles from the Somalia border, is shocking. In the course of the day, the death…

ICC Fugitive In US Custody?
[An update to this post is available here, confirming Ongwen’s transfer to The Hague to stand trial]. Media and the US State Department spokeswoman are reporting that a man…

Top 10 Year in Review: International Criminal Justice
As part of our “year in review” series, I suggest below some of the top developments in international criminal justice with links to our prior coverage, and the thoughts of…

Immunity Before the African Court of Justice & Human & Peoples Rights—The Potential Outlier
As is clear from our prior coverage of the issue, the availability of jurisdictional or defensive immunities is ever-present in discussions of how to ensure accountability for…