Donald Deya, the Chief Executive Officer of the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU), sat down with Wayamo’s Linda Bore to discuss the latest developments in international criminal justice in Africa.
What is the African Union’s current approach to addressing international crimes on the continent? Can existing AU human rights instruments have enough “teeth” to make them truly efficient?
Does the African Union collaborate with or complement the International Criminal Court’s work when it comes to prosecuting international crimes in Africa?
Are there efforts to strengthen African solutions to these issues? What is the current status of the Malabo Protocol, and how soon could we see it becoming operational in trying international crimes on the continent at the African Court of Justice and Human Rights?
Deya goes in-depth about the African Union’s current approach to addressing international crimes on the continent, the relationship between the continent and the International Criminal Court, as well as the creative ways lawyers can use African courts to attain justice for victims of international crimes.
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The interview took place on the sidelines of February 2025 Wayamo Foundation symposium on the subject of “Advancing accountability for international crimes in Africa” held at Nairobi’s Aga Khan University which focused on identifying appropriate and creative means and mechanisms to advance accountability for international crimes. Speaking at the symposium Don Deya suggested that accountability was possible, and spoke about the African Union’s position on universal jurisdiction. He was scheduled to speak on the first panel along with experts from the International Criminal Court and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) focusing on identifying pathways to accountability in Sudan through regional and international human rights investigative mechanisms and international courts. You can view the Symposium in full at the link below (or view as YouTube playlist):
