Spotlight: Urging African leaders to listen to their citizens on international justice

Victims want justice, and citizens' views on how to achieve it must be heeded, ISS said at the Thabo Mbeki Africa Day Lecture.

Published on 02 June 2016 in Impact

‘The victims of international crimes in Africa want justice, and African leaders must listen to their citizens on how this justice can be achieved’.

This was the key message of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) senior researcher Ottilia Anna Maunganidze at the seventh Thabo Mbeki Africa Day Lecture on 27 May. ‘For Africa, peace and justice are vital. We can’t continue to be an unstable, insecure continent because our leaders don’t listen to us’, she said.

The theme of this year’s lecture, co-hosted by the University of South Africa and the Thabo Mbeki Foundation, was the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Africa and Africa’s quest for justice, peace and security. Maunganidze and former South African president Thabo Mbeki were panellists who led the discussion following a lecture by Ugandan lawyer and transitional justice expert, Barney Afako.

The victims of international crimes in Africa want justice

Attaining international justice for victims in Africa has been fraught with controversy because of the African Union’s resistance to the ICC. Progress in some African countries shows that achieving accountability for grave crimes is possible, but the views of those who oppose international justice continue to influence policy and practice.

The event provided an opportunity for ISS’ research and analysis on international justice to inform the African public, as it was broadcast live on South African national radio and a video of the lecture is available online. Providing accurate and independent information to the public that can be used to assess governments’ performance, and hold those in power to account, is a priority for the ISS.

The ISS also helps to strengthen national and regional mechanisms that can dispense justice for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. It conducts authoritative research and provides expert policy advice and training for African police, prosecutors and judges.

‘The recent conviction and sentencing of former Chadian president Hissène Habré is proof that victims of international crimes, supported by civil society and governments, have the power to ensure perpetrators are held accountable for their actions’, said Maunganidze. ‘Ultimately, to achieve lasting peace and justice in Africa, the voices of ordinary citizens must be louder than those of African leaders. And this case proves how and why this is so important’.

For more information contact:

Ottilia Anna Maunganidze, ISS: [email protected], +27 12 346 9500

Picture: ©Jacqueline Cochrane/ISS

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Watch Ottilia's remarks below, or watch the full lecture by clicking here

Photo : ©ISS / Jacqui Cochrane