Legal and Judicial Affairs

Shifting Sands: The Exit of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger from the ICC In an unprecedented move that echoes through the annals of international justice, the West African states of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have officially withdrawn from the International Criminal Court (ICC). This dramatic decision, announced by the military-led governments of these nations, underscores a growing sentiment in the region: a rejection of what they describe as "neocolonial repression" wielded by international bodies. The implications are…

Five Years of Silence: The Unfolding Legacy of Cameroon’s Protest Crackdown As Cameroon approaches the presidential elections scheduled for October 12, the shadows of repression linger longer than ever. This month marks five years since the violent crackdown on protests led by the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC) in September 2020—an event that has left a lasting scar on the nation’s collective conscience. A Dark Chapter in Cameroon’s History The protests, which erupted in response to long-standing grievances regarding…

The Dimensions of Power: Chad’s Constitutional Shifts and the Future of Democracy In an echo of a familiar refrain across many African nations, Chad’s National Assembly has recently voted with overwhelming support for constitutional amendments that extend the presidential term from five to seven years, with the possibility of renewals indefinitely. The decision is part of a broader narrative of governance in the Sahel, raising crucial questions about democracy, power, and the persistence of authoritarianism in regions…

Reflections on Guinea's Constitutional Reform: A Prelude to Power? As the sun rose over Guinea on a recent morning, streets that typically buzz with vibrant life grappled with a quiet tension. The nation prepared to vote on a constitutional referendum that, if passed, could dramatically reshape its political landscape. The stakes, however, seem weighted against the spirit of democracy. A Shift in Governance Proposed changes to Guinea’s constitution would extend presidential terms from five to seven years and open the door…

France-Mali Relations in Crisis: A Diplomatic Breakdown In a move that echoes the increasingly fraught ties between France and Mali, Paris has announced the suspension of counterterrorism cooperation with the West African nation. This decision follows the August arrest of a French diplomat in Mali's capital, Bamako, and marks a significant escalation in a diplomatic rift that has been deepening since military coups shook the country in 2020 and 2021. The Unraveling of Cooperation The French government has ordered its…

Deportees' Legal Battle Shines a Light on Ghana's Immigration Policies In a poignant and complex clash of rights and national policy, eleven Ghanaians recently returned from the United States are taking unprecedented legal action against their own government. These individuals, who were deported under the controversial immigration stance of the Trump administration, claim their detention upon arrival violated their rights. The case encapsulates the delicate interplay between international agreements and domestic law,…

Ancient gold bracelet disappears from Cairo museum days before landmark opening What happened Egyptian authorities launched an urgent search this week after a 3,000-year-old gold bracelet vanished from a restoration laboratory at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The artifact — a delicate cuff studded with lapis lazuli beads dating to the reign of King Amenemope of the 21st Dynasty (circa 993–984 BC) — was reported missing while conservators were preparing items for an exhibition in Rome, the Ministry of Tourism and…

U.S. bill to lift Zimbabwe sanctions opens a fraught debate over land, justice and global finance In Washington, a seemingly technical change to U.S. law has the potential to reopen some of the oldest wounds in southern Africa. A new bill in the House of Representatives would repeal a cornerstone of American policy toward Zimbabwe — the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZDERA) of 2001 — removing a U.S. veto over loans, debt relief and funding from the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. But the repeal…

Zimbabwe’s Human Rights Report: A Pattern of Violence, State Complicity and Vulnerable Lives When the Zimbabwe Peace Project released a terse but damning account this week documenting more than 3,000 victims of rights abuses in a single month, it read like a catalogue of a nation trapped between political control and social distress. The group documented at least 121 distinct incidents in August, finding that women and people with disabilities were disproportionately affected. Nearly half of the violations, the report says,…

Bombing at Opposition Politician’s Home in Zimbabwe Raises Questions About Safety, Impunity Attack and immediate response The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) on Wednesday condemned what it called a “barbaric act of violence” after a bomb exploded at the home of opposition politician Job Sikhala on August 30, an attack that left family members shaken and raised fresh questions about political safety and the rule of law in Zimbabwe. The device detonated while Sikhala was in South Africa—where he had been publicly…