The Peace Declaration was part of a series of unilateral pre-negotiation documents exchanged between multiple Nigerian communities. It appeared alongside the Fulani Declaration of Intent and a position paper submitted by the Hausa community.
CSVR | CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF VIOLENCE AND RECONCILIATION
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View AllThe conflict in Côte d’Ivoire lasted from 2002 to 2011. During this period, the country essentially became divided in two: a largely Muslim north that supported one presidential candidate, Alassane Ouattara, and a largely Christian south in support of another, Laurent Gbagbo (Gumede, 2020). After over a decade of violence, with significant loss of life and widespread sexual violence, the conflict reached its peak in 2010 to 2011, during the political transition from Gbagbo to Ouattara (Sendín, 2013).
On 1 February 2009, the Mauritius Truth and Justice Commission (TJC) was established by then President Sir Anerood Jugnauth. Mandated to operate for two years, with the possibility of a six-month extension, the commission was tasked to conduct an inquiry into the legacy of slavery and indentured labour abuses and its impact on contemporary Mauritius. It was expected to cover up to 370 years, from 1638 to 2011, which is longest period covered by any truth commission.
The Commission of Inquiry into the Crimes and Misappropriations Committed by Ex-President Habré, His Accomplices and/or Accessories (1990-1992) was established by President Idriss Déby Itno under Decree No. 014/P.CE/CJ to investigate former President Hissène Habré and his associates.
Since 2012, the Central African Republic (CAR) has been embroiled in a civil war between the government and rebel groups, specifically the coalition of rebel militias known as the Séléka and Anti-balaka. This civil war has seen the targeting of civilians, with sexual violence used as a tactic of war and considered to be performed widespread and systematically. The primary sexual violations documented in CAR include sexual slavery and rape, with women and girls disproportionally affected (HRW, 2017).
Interethnic conflicts were ongoing in Burundi from its independence from Belgium in 1962 until the signing of various peace agreements in 2008. This constant conflict was punctuated by sporadic but interconnected civil wars in 1965, 1972, 1988 and 1991, in addition to multiple coups (Ngaruko & Nkurunziza, 2005). The largest civil war, which lasted from 1993 to 2005, resulted in widespread systematic killings, abuse and sexual violence (Gumede, 2020).
The Mediation Committee for National Reconciliation (Comité de Médiation pour la Réconciliation Nationale) was mandated to investigate post-election violence in Abidjan in October 2000, which resulted in the deaths of 171 citizens. The Commission for Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation (2011-2014) was established after the 2010-2011 post-election violence in Côte d’Ivoire as a mechanism to promote reconciliation, uncover the truth about past human rights violations, and provide recommendations to prevent future abuses and provide reparations to victims.
South Africa’s history has long been marred by racism and discrimination. In 1652, the Dutch East India Company established a settlement in the Cape. Once there, the settlers brutalized and dispossessed the indigenous San and Khoikhoi populations, forcing them into indentured servitude. Control over the Cape passed to the British in 1806. European domination was later expanded beyond the Cape Colony when Britain outlawed slavery in 1834, leading many Boers (descendants of Dutch settlers) to venture northeast and establish new colonial republics. In 1910, the various British and Boer republics were integrated under the Union of South Africa, which implemented several country-wide racist policies. These included the Mines and Works Act of 1911, which restricted black people to menial work; the Native Land Act of 1913, which allocated only 10 percent of arable land to the majority black population; and legislation requiring black Africans to carry identity documents.
The antagonism between Hutu and Tutsi that led to the 1994 genocide has its roots in the colonial period. From seizing power in 1897, the German colonizers failed to acknowledge the particular meanings given to the categories of Hutu and Tutsi in precolonial society. In general, the term ‘Hutu’ was used to describe the followers (or clients) of a more powerful or wealthy person and would eventually be used to refer to the majority of ordinary people. The term ‘Tutsi’ described the status of an individual as being rich in cattle. However, these distinctions were fluid and citizens could be referred to as either depending on their day-to-day situation. Colonialism altered the existing social systems in such a way that Rwanda felt its effects through the violence within the country during the 1950s and in the 1994 genocide.
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View AllThe Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission (TRNUC) was established by the Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission Act of 2018 under then President Danny Faure. The commission, which ran from 2018 to 2022, was mandated to investigate and create an accurate public record of human rights abuses related to the 1977 coup d’état and its aftermath. The TRNUC’s investigations revealed deaths, unlawful killings and other human rights violations related to the coup and committed in the following years during the imposition of a one-party state, which was in place for 43 years until 1993.
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Integrating a transitional justice approach into climate finance negotiations and provision can help rectify historical wrongs, ensure fair distribution of resources, and support vulnerable populations in adapting to and mitigating the impacts of climate change, writes Augustine Njamnshi.
To ensure the lasting well-being and active citizenship of Sudanese survivors of conflict, international, state and civil society actors must integrate mental health and psychosocial support interventions into humanitarian, peacebuilding and transitional justice efforts, writes Amina Mwaikambo.
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Addressing Developmental and Governance Challenges in Africa: A Transitional Justice Approach
Bobuin Jr Valery Gemandze Oben
Transitional justice can be employed to address business-related human rights violations and a range of interrelated developmental and governance challenges in Africa, especially through the African Union’s Transitional Justice Policy, writes Bobuin Jr Valery Gemandze Oben.