Reclaiming African Traditions in Transitional Justice: With Some Reflections on Sudan
Posted: 15 June, 2023 Filed under: Bobuin Jr Valery Gemandze Oben | Tags: African traditions, African Union Transitional Justice Policy, Africaness, authoritarian rule, democratic consolidation, democratic transition, institutional mechanisms, military coup, Omar Al Bashar, ransitional Justice, Rapid Support Forces, Sovereign Council, Sudan, Sudanese Armed Forces, Truth Commissions, violent extremism Leave a comment
Author: Bobuin Jr Valery Gemandze Oben
Advocacy Specialist, Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation
Introduction
Following the much heralded third wave of democratisation which swept across Africa in the 1990’s, there was optimism that the continent was making a conscious and considerable shift towards democratic consolidation founded on the rule of law and the respect for human rights. Fast-forward almost three decades later and the major headlines across the continent portray conflict, instability and authoritarianism. April was Freedom Month in South Africa, commemorating the first democratic elections held in the country in 1994. As time goes by, much significance has been attached to these celebrations as it reflects the country’s journey towards justice, equality, and dignity from a divisive apartheid-construed society. Transitional justice played a key role in this journey. Most importantly its tools could be used to address conflict, violent extremism and authoritarian rule, issues which are currently plaguing the continent. One of such situations is the ongoing conflict in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) which degenerated in April.
Judicial Independence and Transitional Justice in Cameroon: A Pathway to Sustainable Peace in the ongoing Anglophone Crisis
Posted: 10 May, 2023 Filed under: Bobuin Jr Valery Gemandze Oben | Tags: African Union’s Transitional Justice Policy, Anglophone crisis, Cameroon, conflict, constitutional enactment, constitutionalism, corruption, extrajudicial killings, inadequate resources, independence, judicial independence, OHCHR, orced disappearances, political interference, reconciliation, socio-economic transformation, sustainable peace, transformative constitutionalism, Transitional Justice 1 CommentAuthor: Bobuin Jr Valery Gemandze Oben
Advocacy Specialist, Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation
Introduction
Since 2017 Cameroon has been faced with a separatist insurrection widely referred to as—the Anglophone crisis. It has had devastating effects on the country, and over its bloody course, has been considered the most neglected conflict in the world, with thousands of lives lost and about a million others displaced. Transitional justice tools can provide a pathway for addressing the underlying causes of the conflict and promoting reconciliation and sustainable peace. The OHCHR defines it as, ‘‘the full range of processes and mechanisms associated with a society’s attempt to come to terms with a legacy of large-scale past conflict, repression, violations and abuses, in order to ensure accountability, serve justice and achieve reconciliation’’. While in the African context, the African Union’s Transitional Justice Policy (AUTJP) defines it as ‘‘the various (formal and traditional or non-formal) policy measures and institutional mechanisms that societies, through an inclusive consultative process, adopt in order to overcome past violations, divisions and inequalities and to create conditions for both security and democratic and socio-economic transformation’’. However, as would be subsequently seen, the success of these measures is largely dependent on the independence of the judiciary.
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