Accra Hosts International Criminal Justice Symposium Next Month

Ghana is to host an International Criminal Justice Symposium and the first meeting of the Africa Group for Justice and Accountability in West Africa.

On the theme, “West African International Justice – Leadership, Obstacles, and Opportunities” the event will take place from 21-22 March 2019, at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Accra, Ghana.

West Africa has been the scene of impressive activity in the fight against impunity for international crimes. Since the establishment of the Special Court for Sierra Leone in 2002, the West African region has experienced a burgeoning interest in justice for international crimes.

In order to examine and explore the contributions and ongoing challenges facing West Africa in the fight to achieve meaningful justice and accountability for atrocities in the region, the Wayamo Foundation will be holding a symposium. During this one-and-a-half-day conference, international and regional experts will critically assess the contributions of West Africa to global justice and the continuing challenges of achieving justice for atrocity crimes.

The Africa Group for Justice and Accountability, with its thirteen internationally renowned African experts on international criminal justice and human rights, will play a prominent role in the panel debates of the symposium and those attending are:

• Zainab Bangura (Sierra Leone), Former United Nations Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict

• Hassan Bubacar Jallow (Gambia), Chief Justice of the Gambia, former Prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals and Chairperson of AGJA

• Mohamed Chande Othman (Tanzania), Former Chief Justice of Tanzania 


• Betty Kaari Murungi (Kenya), Senior Advisor on Transitional Justice to the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), South Sudan

• Athaliah Molokomme (Botswana), Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Botswana to Switzerland and the UN Office in Geneva, and former Attorney-General of Botswana 
• Navi Pillay (South Africa), Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights 


• Catherine Samba-Panza (Central African Republic), Former Transitional President of the Central African Republic

• Fatiha Serour (Algeria), Director of Serour Associates for Inclusion and Equity

• Abdul Tejan-Cole (Sierra Leone), Former Executive Director of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa

They hope to hold discussions with senior members of the Government whilst here including members of the newly formed Commission of Enquiry into the recent violence in Accra