Tag Archive: Accountability
Promoting Accountability for International Crimes in Africa
Published: 1 Oct 2013
Promoting Accountability for International Crimes in Africa (En français)
Citizenship Rights and the Prevention of Atrocity Crimes: Contributions to the General Assembly dialogue on the Responsibility to Protect: State Responsibility and Prevention
Published: 1 Sep 2013
The adoption of the responsibility to protect as part of the World Summit outcome document represented a historic commitment to protecting populations from genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity (“atrocity crimes”). By affirming the responsibility of states to protect populations within their borders, and by affirming the right of the international community…
In Ituri, a Quiet Wait for the Verdict on Ngudjolo
Published: 17 Dec 2012
On December 18, 2012, the ICC will announce the second verdict in its history against Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui. In contrast to the fear and anticipation which preceded the March verdict against Thomas Lubanga, this decision is being awaited quietly by people in the affected region of eastern DRC. Many opinion leaders are hesitant to…
Issues of Reparations in the Lubanga Case: An Interview with a Local Activist
Published: 24 Jul 2012
On July 10, 2012, the International Criminal Court (ICC) pronounced its first sentence – 14 years imprisonment – for Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) militia leader Thomas Lubanga. On the ground in the DRC speculation is now turning to the next element of the proceedings – reparations. Chambers have indicated that they will pronounce…
14 Years: Too Much or Not Enough?
Published: 16 Jul 2012
The announcement on July 10 of the first sentence handed down by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the case of Thomas Lubanga has sparked diverse responses in his home province of Ituri in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Although there are some that approve of the sentence, the decision has also been attacked…
The Nexus between Forced Migration and Transitional Justice” in Where Law Meets Reality Forging African Transitional Justice
Published: 1 Jul 2012
In “Where Law Meets Reality Forging African Transitional Justice” Edited by Moses Chrispus Okello, Chris Dolan, Undine Whande, Nokukhanya Mncwabe, Levis Onegi, Stephen Oola Available for puchase here.
Transitional Justice and Displacement
Published: 15 May 2012
Transitional justice mechanisms, including trials, truth commissions and reparations are often employed in the same countries which have also experienced mass displacement. The connection is clear: transitional justice mechanisms are designed to address the consequences of the same large scale violations of human rights and violent conflict that are the cause of mass displacement. Yet,…
The ICC’s First Verdict: The View From Ituri
Published: 3 Apr 2012
On March 14, 2012, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued the first verdict since it began operations 10 years ago in the case of Thomas Lubanga, a former militia leader from the region of Ituri in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Lubanga, whose forces had sought regional autonomy for Ituri, was convicted of conscripting…
Lubanga Found Guilty: Opinion Divided in Congo
Published: 20 Mar 2012
The run up to the International Criminal Court (ICC) verdict in Ituri was marked by fear and anticipation, highlighted by rumors that the judgment would be favorable to Thomas Lubanga. Since the announcement of the verdict last week, there have been no major security incidents, but the mood remains tense and a serious national debate…
Lubanga Found Guilty: Opinion Divided in Congo
Published: 20 Mar 2012
The run up to the International Criminal Court (ICC) verdict in Ituri was marked by fear and anticipation, highlighted by rumors that the judgment would be favorable to Thomas Lubanga. Since the announcement of the verdict last week, there have been no major security incidents, but the mood remains tense and a serious national debate…
Steps Towards Justice, Frustrated Hopes: Reflecting on the Impact of the ICC in Ituri, Just Justice: Civil Society, international justice and the search for accountability in Africa
Published: 14 Mar 2012
On 14 March 2012, the International Criminal Court (ICC) will hand down its first verdict in the case of former rebel leader Thomas Lubanga of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). As Iturians anxiously await the verdict, it is an opportune moment to reflect on the impact that the investigation and trial, alongside other activities…
Fear and Anticipation in Ituri Ahead of the ICC’s First Verdict
Published: 13 Mar 2012
The International Criminal Court (ICC) will announce its first verdict in the case of Thomas Lubanga, former leader of the Congolese rebel group, the Union des Patriots Congolais (UPC) tomorrow. In eastern DRC’s Ituri region, where Lubanga led the UPC and is accused of committing the crimes for which he is on trial, all eyes…
Just Justice? Civil society, international justice and the search for accountability in Africa.
Published: 1 Jan 2012
The introductory note to the series lays out the key questions that will be considered by the series. It will reflect local perspectives on international justice as it is being experienced in Africa. It aims to deepen the debate around a series of key questions and controversies facing the realisation of international justice, anchored in…
A Poisoned Chalice? Local civil society and the International Criminal Court’s engagement in Uganda, Just Justice: Civil Society, international justice and the search for accountability in Africa
Published: 1 Jan 2012
This paper reflects on the ICC’s engagement in Uganda through the lens of the author’s experience working with one of the largest national civil society organisations in Uganda at the time when the investigations was first announced and the first arrest warrants were issued.
Will the Big Fish Be Cooked? Congolese Reactions to the Start of the Bemba Trial
Published: 8 Dec 2011
As the trial of Jean-Pierre Bemba started in The Hague on November 22, Kinshasa was abuzz with the news. Newspapers carried the story as front page news. “Bemba Giving Up His Ex” cried the full page cover of Le Soft, while La Prosperite read “Bemba Faces the Judges.” Congolese television broadcast the opening statements in…
Lessons from a State of Flux: The International Justice Laboratory of the Great Lakes Pact
Published: 15 Nov 2011
Published Criminal Law Reform and Transitional Justice Human Rights Perspectives for Sudan, Ashgate, November 2011.
Activists Question ICC’s Decision on Witness Protection
Published: 23 Sep 2011
On August 26, 2011, the International Criminal Court (ICC) Appeals Chamber ruled that three witnesses, who had been called to The Hague to testify for the defense in the Katanga case, could, in principle, be returned to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Prior to their transfer to The Hague, the three former militia leaders…
Gone But Not Forgotten: Bemba and Congo’s 2011 Presidential Elections
Published: 29 Aug 2011
As Congolese head to the polls on November 28, 2011 to elect a new president, the front-running opposition candidate in the previous election, Jean-Pierre Bemba, sits in a jail cell in Schevingen in the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Bemba has not, however, taken his incarceration to mean that he should be sidelined…
Appearance of Ituri Militia Fuels Speculation
Published: 15 Apr 2011
In Ituri, victims of atrocities committed in the context of the 2002-2003 violence, which claimed an estimated 50,000 lives, and the civil society organisations that represent them have been calling out for a full accounting for crimes committed, emphasizing their right to both understand the particular individual and institutional drivers of the conflict and for…