2023 was all about breathing life into the principle of complementarity as Wayamo continued its projects strengthening justice and accountability in Sudan and Nigeria. Wayamo trained judges, prosecutors, investigators, human rights defenders and journalists in Kenya, Nigeria, Sudan and Uganda.

Recognising that human rights violations are being committed on a daily basis in Sudan, the Wayamo Foundation, the Africa Group for Justice and Accountability, and the Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communication hosted a public symposium on transitional justice and international criminal law on 19 May 2023, in Nairobi, Kenya.

Thanks to Wayamo’s growing standing and expanding support, 2022 was both a busy and an exciting year for the organisation. In 2022, we organised 12 training workshops for a total of 149 participants in Abuja, Khartoum, Lagos, Nairobi and Pretoria. More than 120 participants attended our cultural event in Khartoum in September 2022.

Over the course of 2021, Wayamo demonstrated its resilience and agility in continuing its high-level programming, by adapting its efforts to the circumstances, developing new projects, and remaining at the forefront of international justice developments.

The Wayamo Foundation and the Rule of Law Programme for SubSaharan Africa of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung are proud to present a video gallery featuring judges and experts who address the problem of how to achieve justice and accountability for international and transnational organised crimes.

Au cours des dernières années, les efforts en matière d’enquêtes et de poursuites des crimes internationaux au niveau national en Afrique de l’Ouest ont progressé. Mais davantage peut et doit être mis en œuvre pour lutter contre l’impunité dans la région. C’est dans ce contexte que Fondation Wayamo et le Programme pour la promotion de l’État de droit en Afrique subsaharienne de la Fondation Konrad Adenauer (KAS) ont organisé une conférence internationale intitulée : « Justice pour les crimes internationaux : enjeux et stratégies en Afrique de l’Ouest et ailleurs » le 25 et 26 octobre 2021 à Dakar.

The Wayamo Foundation and the Rule of Law Program for Sub-Saharan Africa of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung are proud to present “Precarity or Prosperity? African Perspectives on the Future of the International Criminal Court”, a video gallery featuring a prestigious group of justice experts reflecting on what the future holds for the ICC in South Africa, the African continent, and beyond.

2019 was a busy and productive year for the Wayamo Foundation. Over twelve months, Wayamo’s public profile grew with the carrying out of four major events in Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and The Netherlands respectively. In all, over 637 participants attended Wayamo events in 2019.

On 3 December 2019, the Wayamo Foundation held its yearly side event at the Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The side event focused on the real and perceived costs of ICC decision-making, in terms of its efficiency, timing and duration.

The Dakar Guidelines were developed through extensive collaboration among, and consultation with, academic and practitioner experts on hybrid justice. Kirsten Ainley and Mark Kersten are the lead authors of the Guidelines. The drafting team, in addition to Ainley and Kersten, included Philipp Ambach, Elena Baylis, Fidelma Donlon, Tiyanjana Maluwa and Angela Mudukuti. The team was assisted in Dakar by Maddalena Procopio. The Hybrid Justice project, of which the Dakar Guidelines are an output, is funded by the Rockefeller Foundation through the LSE Institute of Global Affairs. The Wayamo Foundation is a partner on the project.

On 17 April 2019, the Wayamo Foundation, in partnership with the Ugandan Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), held the 4thAnnual Joan Kagezi Memorial Lecture in Kampala. The 4th Annual Joan Kagezi Memorial Lecture focused on how national, regional and international actors can harness domestic and international law to better confront and combat impunity for terrorism. Joan Kagezi worked tirelessly to prosecute terrorist crimes but was killed in an act of terror. This made this year’s Annual Memorial Lecture especially timely, since states owe it to champions of justice like Kagezi, not only to bring terrorists to account, but also to develop the tools and effective capacity to investigate and prosecute terrorism.

West Africa has been the scene of impressive activity in the fight against impunity for international crimes and merits scrutiny in its own right. It was this that prompted the Wayamo Foundation, the Africa Group for Justice and Accountability (AGJA) and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung’s Rule of Law Programme for Sub-Saharan Africa to hold a symposium and a lecture in Accra, Ghana, on the wide-ranging topics of “West African International Justice – Leadership, Challenges, and Opportunities” and “Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking”.

2018 has been a trying time for international justice. Efforts to hold the perpetrators of international and transnational organised crimes to account have been obstructed and, at times, thwarted. Nevertheless, at the Wayamo Foundation, we have remained – and continue to remain – firmly committed to delivering on our mandate, by encouraging the investigation and prosecution of international crimes at all levels, and doing what we can to bend the arc of history towards justice.

Held as part of its yearly presence at the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC), this year’s Wayamo/Africa Group for Justice and Accountability (AGJA) side event focused on identifying creative solutions to intractable problems in the realm of international justice whilst showcasing the ongoing capacity building workshops in Nigeria.

The investigation and prosecution of complex, transnational and international crimes continues to be regularly undermined by parochial political interests and a narrow focus on crimes and perpetrators within national borders. What can be done to overcome myopic interests and insular approaches in order to further accountability for international and transnational organised crime? To address this question, the Wayamo Foundation and Africa Group for Justice and Accountability hosted a one-day symposium on 27 November 2018 in Arusha, Tanzania.

With the introduction of the International Crimes Bill before the South African Parliament, South Africa’s commitment to international criminal justice and the International Criminal Court is under discussion. To take advantage of this critical moment, the Africa Group for Justice and Accountability (AGJA) and the Wayamo Foundation held a one-day public symposium in Cape Town on 29 August 2018, under the banner of “South Africa and international justice – Charting the way forward”.

The Africa-ICC relationship has received a tremendous amount of attention in recent years. Not only have dozens of articles and reports been written on the subject, but numerous conferences, symposia and diplomatic meetings have sought to assess the crux of the relationship and the concerns that African states and communities have regarding the Court. Despite all of this time, effort, and energy, it cannot be said today that the problems at the heart of this relationship have been resolved. Over many years, the Wayamo Foundation has engaged with scholars, researchers, diplomats, practitioners, human rights advocates and political figures on the subject of the Africa-ICC relationship. Indeed, understanding and improving the relationship is a core feature of Wayamo’s mandate. This report thus represents much of the knowledge regarding the relationship that the Wayamo Foundation has built up and gleaned over the last year.

The Africa Group for Justice and Accountability (AGJA) and the Wayamo Foundation have been engaged in The Gambia since July 2017, when they were requested to make recommendations to the Minister of Justice, Abubacarr Tambadou, on the proposed Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission. Subsequent to its report and at Minister Tambadou’s express invitation, an AGJA/Wayamo fact-finding delegation was sent to the country in late October 2017 to ascertain the nature of the challenges confronting The Gambia’s transition and, in particular, with regards to achieving justice and accountability for human rights violations and crimes perpetrated under the former regime. Based on the delegation’s consultations as well as ongoing research on the country’s transition conducted at the Wayamo Foundation, this mission report offers a series of recommendations to authorities and officials in The Gambia as they continue to work on achieving justice and accountability and building a state that eagerly and effectively defends the rule of law and human rights. It is also expected that it will inform the work of the Wayamo Foundation, AGJA and other partners interested in further supporting The Gambia’s transition process.

On 13 April, Wayamo Foundation Director Bettina Ambach and Deputy Director Mark Kersten participated in the third annual Joan Kagezi Memorial Lecture on the theme of “Combating International and Transnational Organised Crime: Lessons Learnt and Best Practices”. The Wayamo Foundation had the privilege of co-organising the event with its partners in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The event celebrated the life of Joan Kagezi, a senior prosecutor in Uganda’s International Crimes Division, who was assassinated in March 2015.

Within the framework of the “Fighting Impunity in East Africa” project, an initiative funded by the German Foreign Ministry, the Wayamo Foundation and Africa Group for Justice and Accountability organise judges’ retreats, workshops for investigators and prosecutors, and public outreach activities such as the public symposium held in Nairobi, Kenya, on 27 February 2018, entitled “Networks of Accountability: Justice for International and Transnational Organised Crimes”.

These past twelve months have been a difficult and challenging time for the project of international justice. Indeed, the tribulations of 2017 have been felt at all levels —globally, regionally and domestically. It will be anything but easy, but now is precisely the time to redouble our efforts to ensure that a cohesive and coherent system of international justice continues to mature and develop. Throughout 2017, the Wayamo Foundation and its partner organisation, the Africa Group for Justice and Accountability (AGJA), have been working tirelessly on all levels across the length and breadth of the African continent to promote justice for international crimes. The year saw the strength, standing and impact of the Wayamo-AGJA partnership reach new heights.

On Friday 8 December 2017, the Wayamo Foundation held a side event during the 16th Annual International Criminal Court Assembly of States Parties. Co-hosted by the governments of the Republic of Uganda, Republic of Sierra Leone and Federal Republic of Nigeria, the event was entitled, “Immunities Under International Law.”

During the 16th Annual International Criminal Court Assembly of States Parties, the Wayamo Foundation and the Africa Group for Justice and Accountability (AGJA) held a side event entitled “Weaving the Strands – Domestic, Regional, Hybrid and ICC Justice” on Thursday 7 December 2017. The event was made possible by the generous funding of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Finland, Norway, Germany, the Ford Foundation and the United Kingdom.

Bringing together key stakeholders, renowned experts and leading practitioners, the Wayamo Foundation and the Africa Group for Justice and Accountability convened a public symposium in Kigali, Rwanda, on 21 November 2017, entitled “International Crimes, domestic justice – Accountability and capacity building in East Africa”. The goal of this event, co-hosted by Rwandan Prosecutor General, Jean-Bosco Mutangana, and Commissioner General of Police, Emmanuel Gasana, was to discuss the legacy and impact of regional and international courts on domestic systems; explore how to achieve justice and accountability for international crimes; analyse transnational organised crime, with a focus on witness protection and cyber crime; and study the role of networks and judicial co-operation.

On 7 August 2017, Arusha played host to an international symposium at the Mount Meru Hotel, aimed at exploring: judicial independence, integrity and ethics in the fight against international and transnational crime; case studies on the role of the judiciary in addressing human trafficking and corruption; and the relationship between domestic, regional, and international courts in combating serious crimes.

Bringing together key stakeholders, renowned experts, and leading practitioners, the Wayamo Foundation and the Africa Group for Justice and Accountability (AGJA) convened a public symposium in Dakar, Senegal, from 7-8 July, entitled “Changing the Narrative – From Withdrawal to Constructive Engagement”. The symposium covered the current state of affairs in the relationship between African states and the International Criminal Court, possible reforms to improve the ICC, the re-emergence of hybrid mechanisms to prosecute international crimes, regional efforts to combat impunity, the coming into force of the crime of aggression, the relationship between conflict resolution and justice, and other pressing topics.

Arusha played host to an international symposium at the Mount Meru Hotel on 6 June 2017. The symposium aimed at exploring the current state of international criminal justice, its links with transnational organised crime, and national and regional efforts to deal with these crimes across East Africa. The event welcomed some 80 experts on international and transnational criminal law, academics, legal practitioners, the media and civil society organisations from across Africa and other parts of the world.

Assembly of States Parties Side Event: to mark the first anniversary of the establishment of the Africa Group for Justice and Accountability (AGJA), the Africa Group and the Wayamo Foundation hosted a panel discussion on the future of global accountability featuring Africa Group members Dapo Akande (Nigeria), Richard Goldstone (South Africa), Hassan Jallow (The Gambia), Athaliah Molokomme (Botswana) and Fatiha Serour (Algeria) and moderated by Wayamo’s Research Director Mark Kersten.

On 16 November 2016, the Wayamo Foundation, the International Nuremberg Principles Academy and the Africa Group for Justice and Accountability (AGJA) cohosted a roundtable in Brussels, Belgium. Entitled “Strengthening the Central African Republic’s justice system and operationalising the Special Criminal Court”, the event afforded an opportunity to discuss recent developments in the region and challenges facing the national justice system, and the proposed Special Criminal Court (SCC) in particular.

On 22 September 2016, the Africa Group for Justice and Accountability (AGJA) hosted a multi-stakeholder conference in Bangui, Central African Republic (CAR). Entitled “Special Criminal Court for Central African Republic — Context, Challenges and Perspectives” the conference offered an opportunity to reflect on how the soon-to-be-established Special Criminal Court (SCC) would operate and what challenges its mixed international and national court staff would face.

Between 22-24 March 2016, the Africa Group for Justice and Accountability (AGJA), an independent group of senior African experts on international criminal law and human rights, held a three-day symposium in Cape Town, which was attended by over one 150 experts on international criminal justice, human rights activists, academics and practitioners in the field of international law. The symposium, which was organised by AGJA and the Wayamo Foundation and hosted by the University of Cape Town, analysed the crucial aspects of national, regional and international justice, as well as the role of its main players.

Between 2013–2015 the Wayamo Foundation provided specialised training and capacity building in investigating and prosecuting international crimes as defined by the Rome Statute and the Kenyan International Crimes Act (for example, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide), and transnational crimes, such as organised crime, piracy, terrorism, wildlife crimes, cybercrime, human trafficking, money-laundering and counterfeiting. This, along with public outreach to assure accountability and meaningful public participation, was done in preparation for the launch of Kenya’s International and Organised Crimes Division (IOCD). Training was provided for the Kenyan Judiciary, the Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, and the Office of Criminal Investigations. The project was funded by the German Foreign Ministry.

On 23 November 2015 in The Hague, the Wayamo Foundation has launched the Africa Group for Justice and Accountability on the sidelines of the International Criminal Court Assembly of States Parties at an event entitled “Africa and the ICC – Looking Back, Moving Forward” co-hosted by the governments of Botswana, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The Africa Group for Justice and Accountability is an independent group of senior African experts on international criminal law and human rights, including political figures, members of international and domestic tribunals, and human rights advocates. The Group shall support efforts to strengthen justice and accountability measures in Africa through domestic and regional capacity building, advice and outreach, and enhancing cooperation between Africa and the International Criminal Court.

On 4 and 5 December 2014, the International Nuremberg Principles Academy and the Wayamo Foundation organised the conference — “Preventing Genocide and Other Atrocity Crimes: Challenges in Today’s World” — in Nuremberg, Germany. The conference was organised in partnership with Adama Dieng, the United Nation Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide and the proceedings took place in the Courtroom 600 at the Palace of Justice, the location of the historic Nuremberg Trials.

The following is a report of the proceedings of the conference entitled “Building a Legacy – Lessons Learnt from the Offices of the Prosecutors of International Criminal Tribunals and Hybrid Courts” which was held at the Memorium Nuremberg Trials on 7 and 8 November 2013. This report is designed to summarize the main arguments made in each presentation and to capture the key points of discussion. We have also identified some questions that remain salient. The conference explored the timely topic of impact and legacy of the International Criminal Tribunals and Courts from the perspective of the prosecution of international crimes. As the Ad hoc Tribunals and Hybrid Courts are working towards completing their last cases and winding down, the conference provided an international forum to capture and extend the important discussions on their achievements, contributions and lessons learnt regarding the selection of cases and investigations, the completion of mandates and partnerships between national and international jurisdictions.

On 4 and 5 October 2012, the Founding Office for the „International Nuremberg Principles Academy“ and the Wayamo Communication Foundation organised a conference to mark the tenth anniversary of the entry into force of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The conference was preceded and followed by a media workshop with 15 senior journalists from African and Arab countries. The conference marks the progress made in the development of international criminal law in the six decades since the Nuremberg trials, especially since 1993, when the idea of an international criminal justice system gained new momentum through the establishment of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Looking through the lens of the Nuremberg legacy, the conference celebrated the advancement of international criminal law, the achievements of the ICC during its first decade, and assessed the contemporary challenges the Court is facing.