Civil Society, International Justice and the Search for Accountability in Africa

Africa has become a testing ground for international justice and international criminal justice in particular. In the last decade and a half, the continent has been the site of numerous efforts to promote criminal accountability, from ad hoc courts, to efforts to bring the former Chadian leader Hissène Habré to justice on behalf of the peace and security architecture of the African Union, to International Criminal Court investigations in seven country situations.

This preponderance of international justice activity is not surprising given the prolific nature of conflict in Africa over the past two decades. However, serious questions about the impact and efficacy of international justice endeavours are now being asked. How have international justice activities affected the social, political and economic contexts on the ground? Who has a voice in determining what kind of justice is being delivered and for whom?
http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/documents/IRRI_JustJustice_CivilSocietyInternationalJusticeandtheSearchforAccountability.pdf