Media reports on Wayamo’s symposium on “Advancing accountability for international crimes in Africa” have highlighted the work of the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan and its Chairperson Mohamed Chande Othman, Judge Isaac Lenaola of the Supreme Court of Kenya who highlighted the importance of the Baby Pendo case for adjudicating international crimes in Kenyan courts, as well as the work of the International Criminal Court and civil society organisations in combatting atrocity crimes.
The event, held at Nairobi’s Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications on 21 February 2025, focused on appropriate and creative means and mechanisms to advance accountability for international crimes. Wayamo Director Bettina Ambach told Citizen TV about the importance of focusing on justice efforts that can be applied even during armed conflict situations, while Mohamed Chande Othman spoke about the latest findings from the UN Fact Finding Mission and called for a pause in the fighting.
Kamau Muthoni from the Standard Kenya reported on Mohamed Chande Othman’s call for a weapons embargo against Sudan as the Kenyan government on 23 February 2025, a call that was also reported on by Susan Muhindi from The Star, who also highlighted comments from Wayamo’s Senior International Legal Advisor Mikel Delagrange and Christopher Kiyaseh from the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS) who stressed the importance in utilising new technologies in disrupting criminal activity as it takes place. The article also mentioned Tina Alai, Transitional Justice Advisor, United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan who spoke about the need to supplement the limited efforts from the International Criminal Court in the region.
Reporter Sam Kiplagat from the Nation Media Group focused his repot on the victims, also highlighting Chande Othman’s remarks on the need to increase support for victims.
Finally, an in-depth feature report by Nzau Musau in The Standard Kenya highlighted the Symposium in the context of Sudan’s RSF militia forming a parallel government in Nairobi. This report highlighted comments from Adejoke Babington-Ashaye, an international law expert with a focus on accountability for sexual and gender-based violence who spoke about finding creative ways to disrupt the financing of the conflict, as well as those of Kenyan Supreme Court Judge Isaac Lenaola who encouraged civil society organisations and other justice actors to enrich the jurisprudence of international law in Kenya by lodging cases such as the “Baby Pendo” case which marks the first application of Kenya’s International Crimes Act in a criminal proceeding. The report on the Symposium quoted multiple speakers offering creative ways in which civil society actors can push for creative interventions in Sudan’s ongoing conflict, and other armed conflicts in the region.
Read more about Wayamo’s Symposium or watch it in full on YouTube:
