Latest News
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The Burundi Elections: Democracy Nipped in the Bud
For the first time since gaining independence from Belgian colonization in 1962, democratically-elected leaders in Burundi have ended their term in office. For many, this highlights the quest towards restoration of peace and security following decades of political turmoil. As an important part of this journey, the May 24 communal elections kicked off a four-month…
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A Change in the Approach to Neglected Diseases
1.The burden of the neglected diseases While “the big three” infections AIDS, TB and malaria have caught the world’s attention, other disabling and fatal infectious diseases in Africa are being ignored. Sleeping sickness, elephantiasis, leprosy, helminthiasis, trachoma, leishmaniasis, Buruli ulcers, schistomiaisis and yaws are among neglected diseases that still ravage lives covertly. These disabling and…
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Liberian Women Lay Foundation for Strength and Progress
By: Josh Perry For women in the United States, the rights of today were achieved by courageous women with a cause and a drive to see change. These women came, and continue to come, in all shapes and colors. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony were among the first to begin the United States…
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Liberian Women Lay Foundation for Strength and Progress
For women in the United States, the rights of today were achieved by courageous women with a cause and a drive to see change. These women came, and continue to come, in all shapes and colors. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony were among the first to begin the United States women’s movement; Rosa…
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Voice of America TV: In Focus Features Bahati on the Kampala Bombings
Voice of America TV, In Focus Jacques Bahati take on the Bombing in Kampala and US Policy in Africa
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Congo’s Quest for Liberation Continues
Congo has long been the focus of resource exploitation. The first era of colonization in Africa, beginning in the mid-1880s, was most pronounced in this central African country. Belgium’s King Leopold brutalized the population in his quest for rubber and riches, leaving a legacy of natural resource exploitation by white Europeans in the heart of…
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ICC Review conference: Peace, Justice, and AFRICOM
Eight years after its July 2002 founding, state parties and observers participated in the first ever review of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at a conference in Kampala, Uganda, earlier this month. The purpose of the conference was to review the Rome Statute (the court’s founding documents) and its impact on affected communities, as well…
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Peter Erlinder Released! Thank Members of Congress who acted
Thank you for raising your voice on behalf of human rights and rule of law last week by speaking out about Peter Erlinder’s arrest and imprisonment. As you may know, largely thanks to pressure from around the world, last week Erlinder was released on medical grounds, though the charges against him have not yet been dropped.
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The Ethiopian Elections: A Derision of Democracy
Election Day can be an inspiring moment for a country, permitting the display of democracy. But on May 23, 2010 there was a marked absence of hope and exhilaration at polling stations across Ethiopia. In the fourth general elections staged in this landlocked nation on the horn of Africa under the provisions of the current…
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Attorney Detained By Rwanda is Hospitalized Again; ICTR Declares Erlinder’s Immunity and Demands His Release; Secretary of State Hilary Clinton Calls for Erlinder’s Release
*Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE* Contacts: Gena Berglund, International Humanitarian Law Institute of Minnesota, 651-208-7964; Scott Erlinder, brother of Peter Erlinder, 312-656-6098. *Peter Erlinder is hospitalized for high blood pressure; The ICTR issues a statement declaring Erlinder’s immunity and demanding his release; Secretary of State Hilary Clinton expresses concerns about Rwanda’s action against “opposition figures…
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American Lawyer Peter Erlinder finally Free from a Rwandan Jail
It is confirmed that Law Professor and International Human Rights Lawyer, Peter Erlinder, is free from a Rwandan jail where he has been detained since May 28th. President Kagame’s regime could not stand the pressure coming from lawyers and law institutions across the globe, politicians, human rights organizations, the United Nations, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), advocacy groups, including our own Africa Faith and Justice Network, US Congress and lastly, the cautious but important, pressure from the U.S. State Department.
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You Cannot Compare Apples to Oranges: Ubushingantahe vs. Criminal Justice
By: Josh Perry The solidified rules of law present in the United States have been ironed out over the course of centuries; now, when students learn about the American legal system they learn codified rules, regulations, punishments, and resolutions. These overall norms work well for the United States, but can this work for other countries,…
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Press Release: Wife of Detained Defense Attorney to speak with U.N. Security Council Members
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: Heidi Boghosian 212-679-5100, ext. 11, Gena Berglund 651-208-7964 Masako Usui, the wife of detained ICTR defense attorney, Peter Erlinder, will speak with U.N. Security Council Members this week. Monday June14, 2010 (Saint Paul, Minnesota) – Masako Usui, the wife of the U.S. Professor and Attorney Peter Erlinder, is traveling to New…
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D.R.Congo’s Conflict-Free Minerals: Advocacy priorities
A strong legislative campaign for buyers and electronic companies to comply with conflict-free mineral trade is well underway. In 2009, Representative Jim McDermott and Senator Samuel Brownback introduced, respectively, The Conflict Mineral Act H.R. 4128, a bill “to improve transparency and reduce trade in conflict minerals” and The Congo Conflict Mineral Act, S.891, a bill…
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AFRICOM on the Horn of Africa: The military’s fumbling humanitarian foot forward
By Allison Burket, Associate Director This article was initially published in our May -June 2010 newsletter One of the stated advantages of the new U.S. military command for Africa (AFRICOM), has been that not only is it the first military command dedicated exclusively to Africa, a continent increasingly on our national security radar screen, but…
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Support Free and Fair Presidential Elections in Rwanda to Prevent Another Genocide
Document submitted to the U.S Department of State through its Rwanda/Burundi Desk Officer on March 10, 2010 and to USAID Rwanda Desk Officer on March 11, 2010 Overview Since the 1994 Genocide of Rwanda, open political space for democratic governance has eluded Rwanda. Although Rwanda is officially a multiparty system, only one political party, the Rwandan…
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American Defence Lawyer Peter Erlinder Arrested in Rwanda
The Rwandan government’s latest arrest of Professor Peter Erlinder is one of the many attempts to silence the voices calling for justice and democracy in Rwanda. Peter Erlinder, a professor at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, MN., was President of the National Lawyers Guild, and is President of the International Criminal Tribunal…
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Alternatives to AFRICOM
Alternatives and Recommendations for AFRICOM Instead of establishing a military command, the US government should promote a just security doctrine. AFRICOM is not what the people of Africa need and it is not what will achieve long-term stability on the continent. What is needed is a boost in education, job opportunities, health care, debt relief,…
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AFJN supports Conflict Minerals Act ammendment to financial refrom
The Congo Conflict Minerals Act (S. 891), a bill promoting transparency and accountability in mineral supply chaings and thus aiming to help break the line between minerals and violence in Congo, is moving forward! Creative advocates and dedicated Hill staffers have found a way to include the bill in the larger piece of legislation for…
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Peace Strategy For the DRC
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), peace and prosperity remain elusive. In 2009 and through the first half of 2010, rebel groups (notably the CNDP, FDLR, and the Mai Mai) continued to fight for access to Congo’s natural resources while some rebels were rapidly integrated into the national army (FARDC). In the northeastern…
