An interpretative history of human rights in Africa, exploring indigenous rights traditions, anti-slavery, anti-colonialism, post-colonial violations and pro-democracy movements.

Promoting Accountability under International Law for Gross Human Rights Violations in Africa reflects primarily upon the work of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in challenging impunity for serious crimes committed in Rwanda in 1994. The authors, among whom are leading scholars and practitioners of international law, draw lessons for future tribunals such as the permanent International Criminal Court.

The African human rights system has undergone some remarkable developments since the adoption of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, the cornerstone of the African human rights system, in June 1981. The year2011 marked the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the African Charter. It also marked 25 years since the African Charter entered into force on 21 October 1986.This book aims to provide reflections on most of the major human rights issues in the past 30 years of the African human rights system in practice and discussion on the future: the African Charter s impact and contribution to the respect, protection and promotion of human rights in Africa; the contemporary challenges faced by the African Human rights system in responding adequately to the demands of rapidly evolving African societies; and how the African human rights system can be strengthened in the future to ensure that the human rights protected in the African Charter, as developed in the jurisprudence of the African Commission since the Commission was inaugurated in 1987, are realised in practice.The chapters in this volume bring together the work of 20 human rights scholars and practitioners, with expertise in human rights in Africa, under the following general themes: rights and duties in the African Charter; rights of the vulnerable under the African system; implementation mechanisms for human rights in Africa; and towards an effective African regional human rights system.

Discusses the history behind the struggle to secure fundamental rights and freedoms for all Africans, also explains the roles that can be played by organizations like the United Nations and the African Union, NGOs such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and national governments in advancing the cause of human rights.

1 The dominant discourse