Category Archives: Africa

International justice for Ukraine shouldn’t distract from the ICC’s role in contributing to justice efforts in Africa

Posted on July 18, 2022 by Mark Kersten

The following post was written by Mark Kersten and Mohamed Othman Chande, Chairperson of the Africa Group for Justice and Accountability and former Chief Justice of Tanzania. A version of it was published for Al Jazeera, on International Justice Day, … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Africa Group for Justice and Accountability (AGJA), Boko Haram, Darfur, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Libya, Libya and the ICC, Nigeria, Russia, Sudan, Ukraine | Tagged | 3 Comments

Policy Paper Alert: “Building Bridges and Reaching Compromise: Constructive Engagement in the Africa-ICC Relationship”

Posted on May 16, 2018 by Mark Kersten

Dear JiC readers, I am thrilled to announce the publication of a policy paper entitled “Building Bridges and Reaching Compromise — Constructive Engagement in the Africa-ICC Relationship” that I have authored with contributions from colleagues at the Wayamo Foundation, where I … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, African Union (AU), Amnesty, Article 16, Assembly of States Parties, ICC Prosecutor, International Court of Justice, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Peace Negotiations, Peace Processes, Peacebuilding, Policy Papers, UN Security Council, Wayamo Foundation | 1 Comment

Lecture in Berlin: Africa and the International Criminal Court — Building Bridges and Reaching Comprise

Posted on May 9, 2018 by Mark Kersten

Dear (Berlin-based) Readers, I am happy and very excited to announce a lecture that I will be giving entitled ‘Africa and the International Criminal Court — Building Bridges and Reaching Comprise’. The event will take place at the WZB in Berlin … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, International Criminal Court (ICC) | 2 Comments

Negotiated Engagement — The African Union, the International Criminal Court, and Head of State Immunity

Posted on March 5, 2018 by Mark Kersten

At the thirtieth summit of the African Union (AU) last month, African states took a bold decision. They agreed to ask the United Nations General Assembly to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, African Union (AU), ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Omar al-Bashir | 6 Comments

How Three Words Could Change the ICC-Africa Relationship

Posted on May 9, 2017 by Mark Kersten

Much of the fraught relationship between the International Criminal Court (ICC) and African states hinges on perceptions and misperceptions of the Court’s role on the continent. There are so many conflicting narratives of the ICC’s impact in Africa, so many … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, African Union (AU), International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, South Africa, UN Security Council | 4 Comments

Between Disdain and Dependency — Uganda’s Controversial Place in the ICC-Africa Relationship

Posted on March 29, 2017 by Mark Kersten

This article was written for a symposium, organized by the Italian Institute for International Political Studies, entitled “Africa vs the ICC: Searching for an Exit Strategy”. I encourage all readers to check out the other submissions, including those by ICC Judge Cuno … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Dominic Ongwen ICC, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), northern Uganda, Uganda | 4 Comments

The Hybrid Court for South Sudan? Looking for a Way Forward (Part 2)

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Mark Kersten

Patryk I. Labuda joins JiC for this second piece of a two-part series on the ongoing political and legal challenges facing the creation of the proposed hybrid tribunal for South Sudan. The first part can be read here. In the first post, I considered a number of … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, African Union (AU), Guest Posts, Hybrid Court for South Sudan, Hybrid Tribunals, South Sudan | Leave a comment

Re-Setting the Clock – South African Court Rules ICC Withdrawal Unconstitutional

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Mark Kersten

For proponents of the rule of law, today’s ruling that the South African government’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) was unconstitutional is a major victory. Set aside opinions on membership in the ICC itself; the decision by the High Court in Pretoria defended something … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, African Union (AU), International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, International Law, South Africa | 5 Comments

Not All it’s Cracked Up to Be – The African Union’s “ICC Withdrawal Strategy”

Posted on February 6, 2017 by Mark Kersten

I want to make something clear from the outset: what follows is not a defence of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Seriously. It may sound like one or be interpreted as one, but it is not one. What follows is an attempt … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, African Union (AU), International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Nigeria | 3 Comments

Could Yahya Jammeh End Up at the International Criminal Court?

Posted on January 23, 2017 by Mark Kersten

It was unthinkable just a few short weeks ago. But today, Yahya Jammeh is no longer in power in The Gambia. Following last-minute mediation efforts by West African leaders, Jammeh’s twenty-two year-long rule came to a much-anticipated conclusion last week. After weeks … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Transitional Justice, Truth and Reconciliation Commissions, Truth Commission | Tagged , , | 7 Comments