World Cup football- more than just a beautiful game

Last week on 27 October 2017 Burundi’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court became effective, making it the first country to leave the ICC. Given the ongoing perpetration of human rights violations, and lack of accountability, the future of the east African nation hangs in the balance. With the Burundi’s presidential office calling it a […]

On 12 October, a High Court judge found that anti-apartheid stalwart Ahmed Timol was in fact murdered and did not, as alleged by the Security Branch police, commit suicide by jumping from the 10th floor of the John Vorster Square Police Station. It has been an arduous journey for the Timol family in their quest […]

Parliamentary brawls are becoming more common across the world. The scenes in Uganda’s parliamentary session last week were not unlike the ones that unfolded in South Africa’s parliament a few months ago. Punches and chairs were thrown and security staff were called to remove 25 members of parliament. The cause of the brawls- the introduction […]

Mandated to “assert the supremacy of the Constitution and the sovereignty of the people of Kenya” the Kenyan Supreme Court did just that last week when they stunned the world with a ruling that has positively resonated throughout the African continent. Kenya’s highest court ruled that the 2017 Presidential election results were null and void […]

Early next month on 8 August, the Kenyans take to the ballot box. They will vote for a president, members of parliament and local politicians. Since the end of a one party state in 1991, several Kenyan elections have been marred with violence. Kenya’s 2007/ 2008 post election violence resulted in the deaths of at […]

Last week, the judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) handed down their long-awaited judgment regarding South Africa’s failure to arrest Sudanese President Omar al Bashir. The Court was tasked with determining whether South Africa failed to comply with its obligations and, in the case that it had, if a formal finding of non-compliance and […]

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to visit the Senegalese Island of Goree, which was a pivotal part of the harrowing Transatlantic Slave Trade. Despite the formal abolition of slavery roughly 150 years ago, according to the Global Slavery Index 45.8 million people are modern day slaves currently. The humbling and deeply moving experience […]

Next week on 6 July, the International Criminal Court (ICC) will announce its ruling on whether South Africa’s failure to arrest President Bashir constitutes an act of non-compliance. In reality findings of non-compliance have had little impact on other nations in the past, but in South Africa’s case- could the outcome determine whether South Africa […]

Earlier this month, Liberian Agnes Reeves Taylor was arrested by UK Metropolitan Police- War Crimes Unit, and charged with torture committed during the First Liberian Civil War. Due to the existence of universal jurisdiction, suspected perpetrators of such crimes will find no safe haven. This case could be of huge significance for victims and a […]

Last week, Zambians voted on whether they would like to remain within the Rome Statute system or not. A majority, 93.3% of those asked voted in favour of remaining with the International Criminal Court. Given the tension between the African Union and the ICC and the persistent threats of withdrawal-the significance of the results and […]