PolicyPublicationsAfrican Union, Amnesty, Criminal Justice, Peacebuilding, Prosecutions and Pardons, Torture and State Violence, Transitional Justice, Trauma and TransitionPromoting Transitional Justice and Accountability in AfricaThis policy paper examines justice and accountability mechanisms in conflict and post-conflict contexts across Africa, focusing on how states can deliver meaningful accountability while building sustainable peace. From Uganda’s 20-year-long insurgency, which displaced 1.5 million civilians, to the genocide in Rwanda, which claimed 800 000 lives, to Sierra Leone’s civil war, which occasioned the deaths of 100 000 people, to… Read More Bobuin Jr Valery Gemandze ObenMay 21, 2026
PolicyPublicationsAfrican Union, Amnesty, Capacity Building, Children and Youth, Civil Society, Climate Change, Corporate Accountability, Criminal Justice, Ex-combatant Reintegration and Demilitarisation, Gender-based Violence, Gun Violence, Prosecutions and PardonsAFRICAN UNION TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE POLICY IMPLEMENTATION GUIDANCE: ETHIOPIAThe policy brief outlines Ethiopia's complex history of conflict and human rights abuses, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive transitional justice (TJ) policy, which was initiated in 2022 under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's administration. Despite the signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement in 2022, ongoing violence in regions like Amhara and Oromia complicates the TJ process. The policy brief… Read More Markos Debebe BelayApril 25, 2025
PolicyPublicationsAfrican Union, Amnesty, Capacity Building, Children and Youth, Gender-based Violence, Inequalities, Memory and Memorialisation, Mental Health, Prosecutions and Pardons, Reconciliation, Reparations and Victim Services, Restorative Justice, Social Cohesion, Transitional Justice, Truth CommissionsAFRICAN UNION TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE POLICY IMPLEMENTATION GUIDANCE: LESOTHOThe policy brief highlights the persistent violence in Lesotho since its independence in 1966, which has severely impacted democratic governance, human rights, and socio-economic development. It emphasizes the need for a cultural shift towards peace through the implementation of the African Union Transitional Justice Policy (AUTJP) to promote justice, reconciliation, and social cohesion. The paper outlines the historical context of… Read More Prof. Khabele MatlosaApril 25, 2025
MediaOur News and EventsPublicationsResearchAmnesty, Prosecutions and Pardons, Reconciliation, Transitional JusticeNew Book – Transitional Justice: Theories, Mechanisms and DebatesThe book presents the broad scope of transitional justice studies through a focus on the theory, mechanisms and debates in the area, covering such topics as: The origin, context and development of transitional justice Victims, victimology and transitional justice Prosecutions for abuses and gross violations of human rights Truth commissions Transitional justice and local justice Gender, political economy and transitional… Read More Hakeem Yusuf and Hugo van der MerweSeptember 7, 2021
PublicationsResearchAmnesty, Prosecutions and Pardons, Reconciliation, Transitional JusticeNigeria: The Colonial Legacy and Transitional JusticeThis report provides an overview of the legacies of colonisation and demonstrates its impact on transitional justice in Nigeria. It argues that the current injustices in Nigeria are strongly connected to the country’s colonial history. Colonial policies, laws and structures have continued in use, either directly or indirectly and to various extents, long after independence. These ‘legacies’ play a fundamental… Read More Hakeem YusufOctober 24, 2017
ArticlesMediaProsecutions and Pardons, Reparations and Victim Services, Transitional JusticeVictims Left Out of the EquationThe Department of Justice and Constitutional Development recently published a list of names of those who have been recommended for special political pardons. The purpose of the publication of these names is to give victims of these crimes an opportunity to engage with the process. This is an important step in the continuing process of lobbying and advocacy among political… Read More CSVRNovember 10, 2010
