This book provides a unique comparative study of the major secessionist and self-determination movements in post-colonial Africa, examining theory, international law, charters of the United Nations, and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU)/African Union’s (AU) stance on the issue. The book explores whether self-determination and secessionism lead to peace, stability, development and democratisation in conflict-ridden societies, particularly looking at the outcomes in Eritrea and South Sudan. The book covers all the major attempts at self-determination and secession on the continent, extensively analysing the geo-political, economic, security and ideological factors that determine the outcome of the quest for self-determination and secession. It reveals the lack of inherent clarity in international law, social science theories, OAU/AU Charter, UN Charters and international conventions concerning the topic. This is a major contribution to the field and highly relevant for researchers and postgraduate students in African Studies, Development Studies, African Politics and History, and Anthropology.

Peoples and minorities in many parts of the world assert a right to self-determination, autonomy, and even secession from a state, which naturally conflicts with that state's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The right of a people to self-determination and secession has existed as a concept within international law since the American Declaration of Independence in 1776, but the exact definition of these concepts, and the conditions required for their application, remain unclear. The Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice concerning the Declaration of Independency of Kosovo (2010), which held that the Kosovo declaration of independence was not in violation of international law, has only led to further questions. This book takes four conflicts in the post-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) as a starting point for examining the current state of the law of self-determination and secession. Four entities, Transnistria (Moldova), South Ossetia, Abkhazia (both Georgia), and Nagorno-Karabakh (Azerbaijan), claim to be entitled not only to self-determination but also to secession from their mother state. For this entitlement they rely on historic affiliations, and on charges of discrimination and massive human rights violations committed by their mother state. This book sets out its analysis of these critical issue in three parts, providing a detailed understanding of the principles of international law on which they rely: The first part sets out the contours and meaning of self-determination and secession, including an overall assessment of secession within the Commonwealth of Independent States. The second section provides case studies investigating the events in Transnistria, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, and Nagorno-Karabach in greater detail. The third and final section extends the scope of the examination, providing a comparative analysis of similar conflicts involving questions of self-determination and secession in Kosovo, Western Sahara, and Eritrea.

The Routledge Handbook of Self-Determination and Secession explores the various debates surrounding the issues of self-determination and secession, and the legal, political, and normative implications they give rise to. Offering a broad survey of the state of the sub-discipline today, the chapters are divided into seven key parts: an Introduction, Self-Determination, Explaining and Justifying Secession, Secession Strategies, Counter-Secession Strategies, International Law and Secession, and Constitutional Law and Secession. The authors, from a range of disciplinary backgrounds, explore all the recent approaches to secession and self-determination based on strategic interaction of major actors in a secession process. This handbook will be of great interest to students and researchers from a variety of disciplines including politics and international relations, security studies, and law.

This book challenges the central assumption of the law of territory by establishing that uti possidetis is not a general principle of law, and arguing that African customary rules were generated. It includes in-depth coverage of African secession, with issues of human rights law, self-determination and political science presented in a new light.

A unique comparative study between four secessionist states in postcolonial Africa, and their struggles to obtain sovereign recognition.

Since the mid-1980s, there has been much federalism talk in Cameroon where federation (said to have been created in Foumban in 1961) had supposedly been 'overwhelmingly' rejected in 1972 by Cameroonians. 'Confusioncracy' is the one good term that could conveniently explain it. Written with the trilogy of criticism, provocation, and construction in mind, this book aims at reconstructing a new and vigorous society in Cameroon that ensures respect for fundamental human rights and certain basic shared values. Much as the book centres on the Anglophone Problem; it is principally about human rights and their excessive violations - the direct result of the absence of separation of powers and constitutionalism. It largely condemns Cameroon's government for incessantly singing democracy and rule of law at the same time as it is massively torturing and wantonly killing citizens that dare to question the confusion. While sharing the position that a state like Cameroon must be seen to ensure that its laws and other practices accord with its international commitments, the book nonetheless strives to apportion the blame for Cameroon's human rights catastrophe accordingly; showing how the English-speaking minority itself, generally speaking, contributes to a large extent in propping up the dictatorship that is oppressing not only that minority but Cameroonians at large. The book challenges Cameroon to assume a leadership role in uniting Africans through meaningful federalization rather than further splitting them into incapable mini-states on the challenging world stage.

This collection presents an analysis of the concept of secession and its constitutional accommodation alongside an assessment of the effects of secession in constitutional and international law. The work proposes a new approach and insights into the existing literature that fill a gap from multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary perspectives. The book approaches the topics of secession, constitutionalism, and their relationship from both theoretical and empirical perspectives, including the analysis of particular secessionist examples, such as Catalonia, the Basque Country, Tigray, the Palestinian minority in Israel, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Mapuche Nation, from a comparative constitutional perspective. Elucidating these issues from different methodological and conceptual perspectives produces novelties in the scientific and constitutional debate. The interplay between constitutions, constitutional law, and secession is indeed explored from philosophical, socio-legal, but also from strict constitutional law outlooks. Written by constitutional and public international law experts, the book will be of interest to students, academics, and researchers working in the areas of constitutional law, legal theory, theory of the state, philosophy of law, and political science.

African Human Rights Yearbook / Annuaire africain des droits de l’homme 2 (2018) 2018 ISSN: 2523-1367 Pages: 521 Print version: Available Electronic version: Free PDF available About the publication The three institutions making up the African regional human rights system, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, decided to jointly publish the African Human Rights Yearbook, to spearhead studies on the promotion and protection of human rights, and to provide a forum for constructive engagement about the African human rights system with academics and other human rights commentators on the continent. Volume 2 of the Yearbook, published in 2018, contains 21 contributions by scholars from Africa and beyond. Les trois institutions qui composent le système régional africain des droits de l’homme, la Cour africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples, la Commission africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples et le Comité africain d’experts sur les droits et le bien-être de l’enfant ont décidé de publier conjointement l’Annuaire africain des droits de l’homme pour encourager les études sur la promotion et la protection des droits de l’homme et offrir un forum d’interaction constructive sur le système avec les universitaires et observateurs du continent. Le Volume 2 de l’Annuaire, publié en 2018, contient 21 contributions de chercheurs du continent et d’ailleurs. Table of Contents ARTICLES FOCUSED ON ASPECTS OF THE AFRICAN HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEM AND AFRICAN UNION HUMAN RIGHTS NORMS ARTICLES PORTANT SUR LES ASPECTS DU SYSTEME AFRICAIN DES DROITS DE L’HOMME ET LES NORMES DES DROITS DE L’HOMME DE L’UNION AFRICAINE Le système africain de protection des droits de l’homme et le droit international humanitaire Abelungu, Junior Mumbala & Cirimwami, Ezéchiel Amani Les grands silences jurisprudentiels de la Cour africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples Adjolohoun, Sègnonna Horace The normative power of the right to self-determination under the African Charter and the principle of territorial integrity: competing values of human dignity and system stability Anyangwe, Carlson Perspective d’une fusion entre la Commission et la Cour africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples: quel scenario possible pour une unification du contentieux régional africain des droits de l’homme? Badugue, Patrick The application of African Union (human rights) law in Uganda: trends and prospects from a comparative review Kabumba, Busingye Signs of triumph, trial and tribulation: reflections on the domestication and implementation of article 9 of the Women’s Rights Protocol in Namibia Kariseb, Kennedy L’exercice de la compétence contentieuse de la Cour africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples à l’épreuve de la souveraineté des États Kéké, Sakré La déclaration de l’article 34(6) du Protocole de Ouagadougou dans le système africain des droits de l’homme: entre régressions continentales et progressions régionales Kemkeng, Carole Valérie Nouazi Follow-up as a ‘choice-less choice’: towards improving the implementation of decisions on communications of the African Children’s Committee Mezmur, Benyam Dawit & Kahbila, Mbuton Ulrike The interpretation of the right to mental health in the Africa and American systems Wachira, Miriam & Cassell, Doug Assessing Rwexit: the impact and implications of Rwanda’s withdrawal of its article 34(6) declaration before the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights Windridge, Oliver Le mécanisme de garantie des droits de l’homme de la CEDEAO: entre emprunt et appropriation des instruments du système continental Yougbaré, Robert Human rights in the African Union decision-making processes: an inside view of states’ reaction to the Activity Reports of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights Zewudie, Tilahun Adamu SPECIAL FOCUS ON THE AFRICAN UNIONS’ THEME FOR 2018: THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION FOCUS SPECIAL SUR LE THEME DE L’UNION AFRICAINE POUR L’ANNEE 2018: LA LUTTE CONTRE LA CORRUPTION Combating corruption-related illicit financial flows from Africa: legal approaches and challenges Duri, Jorum L’hydre de la corruption dans les relations euro-africaines Hassan, Adam Abdou Corruption and the right to vote in free and fair elections in Africa: is the will of the people on auction? Murimi, Edward Kahuthia & Kinyunyu, Selemani CASE COMMENTARIES COMMENTAIRES DE DECISIONS The (un)willingness to implement the recommendations of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights: revisiting the Endorois and the Mamboleo decisions Inman, Derek; Smis, Stefaan; Cirimwami, Ezéchiel Amani & Bahalaokwibuye, Christian Bahati Will Konaté set African journalists free? Interrogating the promises of an emerging press freedom jurisprudence in African regional courts Jansen Reventlow, Nani & Adjolohoun, Ségnonna Horace Genocide denial and freedom of political expression in the Ingabire case Khamala, Charles A Inclusive dialogue, freedom of speech in Rwanda and the milestone decision of the African Court in the matter of Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza v Republic of Rwanda Namwase, Sylvie La première décision au fond de la Cour africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples: l’affaire Yogogombaye c. Sénégal (15 décembre 2009) Tchikaya, Blaise

Secessionism perseveres as a complex political phenomenon in Africa, yet often a more in-depth analysis is overshadowed by the aspirational simplicity of pursuing a new state. Using historical and contemporary approaches, this edited volume offers the most exhaustive collection of empirical studies of African secessionism to date. The respected expert contributors put salient and lesser known cases into comparative perspective, covering Biafra, Katanga, Eritrea and South Sudan alongside Barotseland, Cabinda, and the Comoros, among others. Suggesting that African secessionism can be understood through the categories of aspiration, grievance, performance, and disenchantment, the book's analytical framework promises to be a building block for future studies of the topic.

Derived from the renowned multi-volume International Encyclopaedia of Laws, this practical analysis of the structure, competence, and management of the African Union (AU) provides substantial and readily accessible information for lawyers, academics, and policymakers likely to have dealings with its activities and data. No other book gives such a clear, uncomplicated description of the organization’s role, its rules and how they are applied, its place in the framework of international law, or its relations with other organizations. The monograph proceeds logically from the organization’s genesis and historical development to the structure of its membership, its various organs and their mandates, its role in intergovernmental cooperation, and its interaction with decisions taken at the national level. Its competence, its financial management, and the nature and applicability of its data and publications are fully described. Systematic in presentation, this valuable time-saving resource offers the quickest, easiest way to acquire a sound understanding of the workings of the African Union (AU) for all interested parties. Students and teachers of international law will find it especially valuable as an essential component of the rapidly growing and changing global legal milieu.