Institutional Reform African Transitional Justice Hub

Côte d’Ivoire

For a long time after its independence from France in August 1960, the West African country of Côte d’Ivoire enjoyed relative political and economic stability. Félix Houphouët-Boigny became the country’s first prime minister and, when his party won all the parliamentary seats, he became president. Houphouët-Boigny would go on to win the presidential election for a record...

Transitional Justice Processes

Ethiopia

Ethiopia experienced two political crises in the second half of the 20th century, one in 1974 and another in 1991. The 1991 crisis was believed to have brought democracy to the country, which suffered for years under autocratic and dictatorial rule. Right after the fall of the military regime, a transitional government was established to...

Transitional Justice Processes

Kenya

After Kenya’s independence from Britain in 1963, Jomo Kenyatta became the first prime minister and later president of the country from 1963 until his death in 1978. Kenyatta’s administration was dominated by Kikuyus, his own ethnic group, who also dominated the military and public administration.

Transitional Justice Processes

Liberia

Liberia’s history as the first African state to proclaim independence in 1847 makes it one of the most unique countries on the continent. The abolition of the slave trade in the 19th century and the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861 motivated many people of African descent in the United States, including freed...

Transitional Justice Processes

Mauritius

The island nation of Mauritius has a history of colonialism and slavery, the tendrils of which are still present in modern Mauritian society. The uninhabited island was first claimed and unsuccessfully colonized by the Dutch between 1598 and 1710. The Dutch withdrew and France took control, until Mauritius was ceded to Britain under the Treaty...

Transitional Justice Processes

Morocco

Morocco is a racially and linguistically diverse country with a history of political upheaval rooted in early colonial occupation. Arabs and Imazighen (Berber) make up the largest percentage of the population, while other groups include descendants of Spanish refugees who fled the Reconquista and of Sub-Saharan African slaves. The country’s status as a French protectorate...

Transitional Justice Processes

Sierra Leone

In March 1991, a growing rebel force in neighboring Liberia known as the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) invaded Sierra Leone, commencing one of the most violent civil wars in modern history. With the support of Liberian President Charles Taylor, RUF Commander Foday Sankoh recruited Sierra Leonean youths struggling with unemployment and lack of access to...

Opinion

Transitional Justice in Sudan: Potential Opportunities and Key Challenges

Transitional justice is key to building peace and stability in Sudan after years of impunity, especially in light of the current conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, writes Abdelmageed Yahya.

Transitional Justice Processes

Tunisia

Political instability, revolutions and repression characterised Tunisia’s fight for independence from Britain until 1956. Tunisia inherited a culture of impunity under its first Prime Minister and later first President Habib Bourguiba, whose main rival and pan-Arabist nationalist movement leader Ben Youssef was forced into exile and later assassinated in Germany. Bourguiba’s administration launched a campaign of...

Transitional Justice Processes

Uganda

Since achieving its independence from Britain on 9 October 1962, Uganda has had a tempestuous political history marked by civil wars, dictatorship, electoral authoritarianism, ethnic tension and military incursion. Arguably, it was the British colonial administration that provided fertile ground for political instability in Uganda through its divide and rule policy, a weak state apparatus...