On 17 October 2015, Alpha Condé, the incumbent president of the Republic of Guinea was declared the winner of Guinea’s presidential elections. With 58% of the vote, Condé was able to avoid a second round. The opposition, led by Cellou Dalein Diallo however, described the election as a “masquerade” and refused to recognise the results….
Five weeks after the start of the trial of former Chadian dictator, Hissène Habré, 17 women’s rights organization , including the Panzi Foundation of Dr Denis Muwege, often referred to as “the man who mends women”, have issued an Open letter denouncing the insufficient attention given to sexual violence in the indictment.
Imagine you are born in a country, to parents who were also born in that country, and all your life you believed you were a citizen of that country – with all the rights that go along with it. Then, one day when you apply for a standard identification document, you are told you are…
On 22 July 2015, to mark the 21st anniversary of his accession to power, President Jammeh announced that he would release approximately 200 detainees in the country. Among those released were all of those who had been convicted of treason between 1994 and 2013 received a presidential pardon. Although the pardon was welcomed by Gambians,…
For decades, Europe has managed to ignore the majority of refugees housed in countries along the borders of those in crisis – including Turkey, Lebanon and Africa’s Great Lakes region – and has had its collective head in the sand over the critical failures to offer them adequate protection and assistance. It has wrongly assumed that aid budgets are a…
Published in the EACSOF Newsletter The Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC), Dr. Richard Sezibera, is reported to have said recently that the issuance of East African passports will kick off in November 2015. This is aimed at facilitating trade and movement of persons in the region. “Physical borders are being removed for…
The deportation under a voluntary scheme of Eritreans and Sudanese from Israel to “third countries” in Africa is exposing them to danger, with some being left without proper documentation and at risk of discrimination in unfamiliar environments, a report released this week says.
The following blog was originally posted on the International Justice Monitor website. (2 September 2015) Today, September 2, the trial of Bosco Ntaganda began at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. This will be an important trial for the court in many ways and will be followed with particular interest both in the…
The following blog was originally posted on the International Justice Monitor website. (2 September 2015) Today, September 2, the trial of Bosco Ntaganda began at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. This will be an important trial for the court in many ways and will be followed with particular interest both in the…
Freedom of movement is not only an internationally recognised right of refugees, it is also critical to their day-to-day lives and to their ability to enjoy other human rights. In October 2014, IRRI launched a campaign to promote the enjoyment by refugees of this fundamental human right. As part of that effort, IRRI is beginning…
Five years after the death of Congolese human rights activist, Floribert Chebeya and the disappearance of his colleague Fidèle Bazana shook the Congolese human rights community, the fight for justice continues. Although eight people have been found in connection with the case in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), activists argue that the truth is…
The following blog was originally posted on the International Justice Monitor website. (24 August, 2015) On August 21, 2015, the International Criminal Court (ICC) heard arguments about whether or not to release Thomas Lubanga, the first person to be convicted by the court. As required under Article 110 of the Rome Statute, the ICC will…
On Sunday 9 August, the Ugandan government announced that Sudan’s President Omar Bashir would join Ugandan president, Yoweri Museveni, Kenya’s president, Uhuru Kenyatta and Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn in Entebbe to discuss the political crisis in neighbouring South Sudan. The Ugandan government assured Bashir that they would not arrest him. As the government spokesperson…
Burundians recently headed to the polls in a strongly contested election that was boycotted by most of the opposition in protest of the president’s decision to seek a third term. While there has been much discussion of the legitimacy of the elections and possibilities for transition, mostly from those in Bujumbura or who have recently…
For years, people have wondered if Hissène Habré would ever be brought to justice. Therefore, the start of his trial in Dakar, Senegal on 20 July 2015 by the Extraordinary African Chambers marks an important turning point in the fight against impunity on the African continent. Hissène Habré has been indicted for crimes against humanity,…
In Burundi, the disconnect between the mechanisms of democracy and its application could not be more stark. The government seems to be taking the approach that as long as elections are formally held then its legitimacy to hold onto the reins of power will be affirmed. Multiple opposition groups, not surprisingly, strongly dispute this approach…
These are reflections from a Burundian activist. His name has been withheld for his own security. Burundians have just finished the elections of local council members and parliamentarians. These elections happened in a context of political crisis triggered by the decision of President Nkurunziza to run for a third term. The opposition argued that Nkurunziza…
(1 July 2015) While Europe squabbles over the acceptance of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers arriving over the Mediterranean, over the past year 154,134 refugees of South Sudanese origin alone have been assisted in Uganda, with Adjumani District receiving around 87 new arrivals every day. Despite the fact that Adjumani is itself recovering from…
While Europe squabbles over the acceptance of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers arriving over the Mediterranean, over the past year 154,134 refugees of South Sudanese origin alone have been assisted in Uganda, with Adjumani District receiving around 87 new arrivals every day. Despite the fact that Adjumani is itself recovering from decades of conflict,…
As previously reported by the International Refugee Rights Initiative (IRRI), Burundian President Nkurunziza’s decision in late April to run for a third term triggered protests and violence in Bujumbura and set the stage for an attempted coup (see Suicidal for the nation’: An interview with a Burundian politician in hiding; Burundi: No business as usual;…
