Africa, International Courts/Tribunals and Dispute Settlement: Year in Review 2015

Ewelukwa Ofodile, Uche

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-71476-9_16

Uche Ewelukwa Ofodile¹⁷

Part of the book series: Nigerian Yearbook of International Law ((NYBIL,volume 2017))

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Abstract

This article reviews recent decisions and opinions of international and regional courts and tribunals that are pertinent to countries in Africa. The decisions and opinions analyzed arise out of cases brought by or against African States and governments, as well as cases that, although not brought by or against African States and governments, are nonetheless relevant to these countries. Altogether, the decisions and opinions of six international and regional courts are reviewed:

the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea,
the Permanent Court of Arbitration,
the International Criminal Court,
the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights,
the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and
the General Court of the European Union, which is a constituent court of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Dr. Uche Ewelukwa Ofodile, SJD (Harvard), E.J. Ball Professor of Law, University of Arkansas School of Law.

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Notes

1.
“United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea” (10 December 1982). <http://www.un.org/Depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/unclos_e.pdf> accessed 11 June 2016.
2.
ITLOS, n 1.
3.
Request for an Advisory Opinion Submitted by the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission, Advisory Opinion [2015] ITLOS <https://www.itlos.org/fileadmin/itlos/documents/cases/case_no.21/advisory_opinion/C21_AdvOp_02.04.pdf > accessed 11 June 2016 [hereinafter SRFC Advisory Opinion].
4.
ibid.
5.
“Commission Sous-Regionale Des Peches Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission” (June 2012) <https://www.itlos.org/fileadmin/itlos/documents/cases/case_no.21/Convention_CMA_ENG.pdf> accessed 11 June 2016 [hereinafter Commission].
6.
“Request for an Advisory Opinion to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea—ITLOS” (November 2013) <https://www.itlos.org/fileadmin/itlos/documents/cases/case_no.21/written_statements_round1/C21_19_CSRP_orig_Eng_rev.pdf> accessed 11 June 2016 (finding the seven member states to be Guinea, Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal, and Sierra Leone).
7.
Commission, n 6.
8.
“International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea” (Rules of the Tribunal, 17 March 2009) <https://www.itlos.org/fileadmin/itlos/documents/basic_texts/Itlos_8_E_17_03_09.pdf> accessed 11 June 2016.
9.
Annex VI. Statute of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, s 2, article 20 (1-2).
10.
SRFC Advisory Opinion, n 4, at [40].
11.
Emphasis added.
12.
SRFC Advisory Opinion, n 4, at [54].
13.
ibid at [56].
14.
ibid at [59].
15.
ibid at [61-9].
16.
ibid at [70-9].
17.
ibid at [89].
18.
ibid at [104].
19.
ibid.
20.
ibid at [108].
21.
ibid at [109].
22.
ibid at [124].
23.
Responsibilities and Obligations of States with Respect to Activities in the Area, Advisory Opinion [2011] ITLOS <https://www.itlos.org/fileadmin/itlos/documents/cases/case_no_17/adv_op_010211.pdf> accessed 11 June 2016.
24.
SRFC Advisory Opinion, n 4, at [129].
25.
ibid at [129].
26.
ibid at [134].
27.
ibid at [135].
28.
ibid at [136].
29.
ibid at [138].
30.
ibid at [146].
31.
ibid at [150].
32.
Case Number 23—Provisional Measures, Dispute Concerning Delimitation of the Maritime Boundary Between Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire in the Atlantic Ocean, Order of 25 April 2015 [2015] ITLOS <https://www.itlos.org/cases/list-of-cases/case-no-23/case-no-23-provisional-measures/> accessed 11 June 2016 [hereinafter Case No. 23.
33.
ibid.
34.
‘Press Release: Dispute Concerning Delimitation of the Maritime Boundary Between Ghana and the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire’ ITLOS (12 January 2015) <https://www.itlos.org/en/press-media/press-releases/press-releases-2015/> accessed 11 June 2016 [hereinafter January Press Release].
35.
‘Press Release: Cote d’Ivoire Seeks Provisional Measures in the Dispute Concerning Delimitation of the Maritime Boundary Between Ghana and the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire in the Atlantic’ ITLOS (2 March 2015) <https://www.itlos.org/en/press-media/press-releases/press-releases-2015/> accessed 11 June 2016 [hereinafter March Press Release].
36.
Case No. 23, n 34, at [41].
37.
ibid at [47].
38.
ibid at [48].
39.
ibid at [50].
40.
ibid at [51].
41.
ibid at [52].
42.
ibid.
43.
ibid.
44.
ibid.
45.
ibid at [54].
46.
ibid at [55].
47.
ibid at [65].
48.
ibid at [66].
49.
ibid at [67].
50.
ibid at [34-8].
51.
Order of 23 December 2010 [2010] ITLOS, [72].
52.
Case No. 23, n 33, at [41].
53.
ibid at [62].
54.
ibid.
55.
ibid at [67].
56.
ibid at [68].
57.
“About Us” (Permanent Court of Arbitration) < https://pca-cpa.org/en/about/> accessed 11 June 2016.
58.
“PCA Service” (Permanent Court of Arbitration) <http://www.pca-cpa.org/showpage8a88.html?pag_id=1028> accessed 11 June 2016.
59.
‘Chagos Archipelago’ Wikipedia (24 January 2016) <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chagos_Archipelago> accessed 11 June 2016.
60.
ibid.
61.
n58 at [207].
62.
ibid at [420].
63.
ibid at [422].
64.
ibid at [425].
65.
Ibid.
66.
ibid at [426].
67.
ibid at [427].
68.
ibid at [428].
69.
ibid at [434-35].
70.
ibid at [438].
71.
ibid at [439], [443-44], [447].
72.
ibid at [448].
73.
ibid at [449-56].
74.
ibid at [455-56].
75.
“Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Establishment of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights” (ACHPR, 2016) <http://www.achpr.org/instruments/court-establishment/#3> accessed 11 June 2016 [hereinafter, Protocol to the African Court].
76.
ibid.
77.
Protocol to the African Court, n 77, at Article 2.
78.
Emphasis added.
79.
ibid Article 5.
80.
Michelot Yogogombaye v. The Republic of Senegal, Judgment [2009] ACHPR; Femi Falana v. The African Union, Judgment [2012] ACHPR.
81.
Tanganyika Law Society et al. v. The United Republic of Tanzania, Judgment [2013] ACHPR.
82.
Peter Joseph Chacha v. The United Republic of Tanzania , Judgment [2014] ACHPR.
83.
ibid at [45].
84.
ibid.
85.
Southern Africa Human Rights NGO Network and Others/Tanzania, No 333/06 [2010] ACHPR <http://www.achpr.org/communications/decision/333.06/> accessed 11 June 2016.
86.
ibid at [48].
87.
Sir Dawda K. Jawara/Gambia, No 147/95-149/96 [2000] ACHPR <http://www.achpr.org/communications/decision/147.95-149.96/> accessed 11 June 2016.
88.
African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child [1990] CAB/LEG [1999], Article 32 (providing that an African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child [hereinafter Committee] shall be established within the Organization of African Unity to promote and protect the rights and welfare of the child).
89.
Emphasis added.
90.
ibid at [47].
91.
ibid at [56].
92.
ibid.
93.
ibid at [73-4].
94.
ibid at [74].
95.
ibid.
96.
ibid at [75].
97.
ibid.
98.
Beneficiaries of Late Norbert Zongo, Abdoulaye Nikiema, Ernest Zongo, Blaise Ilboudo & The Burkinabe Human and Peoples’ Rights Movement v. Burkina Faso, Judgment [2014] ACHPR [hereinafter Zongo v. Burkina Faso].
99.
ibid at [150].
100.
Emphasis added.
101.
‘World Movement for Human Rights, Burkina Faso/Norbert Zongo Case: The African Court recognizes the responsibility of the State of Burkina Faso in the denial of justice for the victims’ FIDH (15 April 2014) <https://www.fidh.org/en/region/Africa/burkina-faso/15142-burkina-faso-norbert-zongo-case-the-african-court-recognizes-the> accessed 11 June 2016.
102.
Lohe Issa Konate v. Burkina Faso, Judgment [2014] ACHPR.
103.
ibid
104.
ibid at [30-42].
105.
ibid at [43-115].
106.
ibid at [59].
107.
ibid at [58].
108.
ibid at [72].
109.
ibid at [77].
110.
ibid at [107].
111.
ibid at [114].
112.
ibid at [125].
113.
ibid at [164].
114.
ibid at [171].
115.
‘African Court Addresses Freedom of Expression in Burkina Faso, in Landmark Judgment’ IJRC (2 February 2015) <http://www.ijrcenter.org/2015/02/03/african-court-addresses-freedom-of-expression-in-burkina-faso-in-landmark-judgment/> accessed 11 June 2016; See also, ‘Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information’ ACHPR <http://www.achpr.org/mechanisms/freedom-of-expression/> accessed 11 June 2016.
116.
Alison Meston, ‘The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers, World’s Press Urges African States to Repeal Criminal Defamation after Landmark Ruling’ WAN IFRA (4 December 2014) <http://www.wan-ifra.org/articles/2014/12/06/world-s-press-urges-african-states-to-repeal-criminal-defamation-after-landmark-> accessed 11 June 2016.
117.
n 103.
118.
‘Press Release: Appeals Chamber Confirms Admissibility of the ICC’s Simone Gbagbo Case’ ICC (27 May 2015) < https://www.icc-cpi.int//Pages/item.aspx?name=pr-1112> accessed 11 June 2016.
119.
Prosecutor v. Simone Gbagbo, ‘Judgment on the appeal of Côte d’Ivoire against the decision of Pre-Trial Chamber I of 11 December 2014 entitled “Decision on Côte d’Ivoire’s challenge to the admissibility of the case against Simone Gbagbo’ (ICC, 27 May 2015) <https://www.icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/doc/doc1976613.pdf > accessed 11 June 2016.
120.
‘Warrant of Arrest for Simone Gbagbo’ (ICC, 29 February 2012) <https://www.icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/doc/doc1344440.pdf > accessed 11 June 2016.
121.
ibid.
122.
‘The Prosecutor v. Simone Gbagbo Case Information Sheet’ ICC <https://www.icc-cpi.int/cdi/simone-gbagbo/Documents/SimoneGbagboEng.pdf > accessed 11 June 2016.
123.
‘Press Release, Simone Gbagbo Case: ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I Rejects Cote d’Ivoire’s Challenge to the Admissibility of the Case and Reminds the Government of its Obligation to Surrender Simone Gbagbo’ ICC (12 December 2014) <https://www.icc-cpi.int/en_menus/icc/press%20and%20media/press%20releases/Pages/pr1075.aspx > accessed 11 June 2016.
124.
n 124.
125.
‘Declaration Accepting the Jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court’ (Minister of Foreign Affairs, 18 April 2003) < https://www.icc-cpi.int/NR/rdonlyres/57B00915-8FDF-4532-9BDE-8AF338E3E364/279844/ICDEENG7.pdf > accessed 11 June 2016.
126.
<https://www.icc-cpi.int/NR/rdonlyres/498E8FEB-7A72-4005-A209-C14BA374804F/0/ReconCPI.pdf> accessed 11 June 2016.
127.
n 121 at [4].
128.
ibid at [10].
129.
See ibid.
130.
ibid at [10].
131.
Marilia Brocchetto, ‘Ivory Coast’s Simone Gbagbo Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison’ CNN (10 March 2015) <http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/10/africa/ivory-coast-first-lady/> accessed 11 June 2016.
132.
The Prosecutor v. Laurent Gbagbo, ‘Decision on the confirmation of charges against Laurent Gbagbo’ (ICC, 12 June 2014) < https://www.icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/doc/doc1783399.pdf > accessed 11 June 2016.
133.
The Prosecutor v. Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, ‘Decision on the Withdrawal of Charges Against Mr Kenyatta’ (ICC, 13 March 2015) <https://www.icc-cpi.int/Pages/record.aspx?docNo=ICC-01/09-02/11-1005 > accessed 11 June 2016.
134.
‘Decision on the Prosecutor's Application for Summonses to Appear for Francis Kirirni Muthaura, Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta and Mohammed Hussein AIi’ (ICC, 8 March 2011) < https://www.icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/doc/doc1037052.pdf > accessed 11 June 2016.
135.
‘Decision on the Confirmation of Charges Pursuant to Article 61(7)(a) and (b) of the Rome Statute’ (ICC, 23 January 2012) < https://www.icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/doc/doc1314543.pdf > accessed 11 June 2016.
136.
‘Decision Referring the Case of The Prosecutor II Francis Kirimi Muthaura and Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta to Trial Chamber V’ (ICC, 29 March 2012) <https://www.icc-cpi.int/Pages/record.aspx?docNo=ICC-01/09-02/11-414> accessed 11 June 2016.
137.
‘Decision on Prosecution's application for a Further Adjournment’ (ICC, 3 December 2014) <https://www.icc-cpi.int/Pages/record.aspx?docNo=ICC-01/09-02/11-981 > accessed 11 June 2016.
138.
ibid.
139.
ibid.
140.
ibid.
141.
‘Decision on the Withdrawal of Charges Against Mr Kenyatta’ (ICC, 13 March 2015), <https://www.icc-cpi.int/Pages/record.aspx?docNo=ICC-01/09-02/11-1005 > accessed 11 June 2016.
142.
ibid at [10].
143.
ibid at [11].
144.
ibid at [12].
145.
‘Decision on the Prosecution's Request for Leave to Appeal’ (ICC, 9 March 2015) <https://www.icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/doc/doc1919141.pdf > accessed 11 June 2016.
146.
‘Decision on Prosecution's application for a finding of non-compliance under Article 87(7) of the Statute’ (ICC, 3 December 2014) < https://www.icc-cpi.int/Pages/record.aspx?docNo=ICC-01/09-02/11-982 > accessed 11 June 2016.
147.
n 147.
148.
Emphasis added.
149.
n 148.
150.
‘Judgment on the Prosecutor’s appeal against Trial Chamber V(B)’s “Decision on Prosecution’s application for a finding of non-compliance under Article 87(7) of the Statute”’ (ICC, 19 August 2016) <https://www.icc-cpi.int/pages/record.aspx?uri=2034599> accessed 11 June 2016.
151.
ibid at [22].
152.
ibid at [24].
153.
Prosecutor v. Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir, ‘Decision on the Cooperation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Regarding Omar Al-Bashir's Arrest and Surrender to the Court’ (ICC, 5 September 2013) <https://www.icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/doc/doc1640857.pdf > accessed 11 June 2016.
154.
n 152, at [49].
155.
ibid at [51].
156.
ibid at [52].
157.
ibid at [53].
158.
ibid.
159.
ibid at [62].
160.
ibid at [73].
161.
ibid at [90].
162.
ibid at [91].
163.
ibid at [94].
164.
ibid at [95].
165.
‘Rwanda: International Tribunal Closing Its Doors’ HRW (23 December 2015) <https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/12/23/rwanda-international-tribunal-closing-its-doors> accessed 11 June 2016.
166.
‘Rwandan ex-minister becomes first woman convicted of genocide’ The Guardian (24 June 2011) < http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jun/24/rwanda-first-woman-genocide-conviction > accessed 11 June 2016.
167.
‘United Nations Mechanisms for International Criminal Tribunal, Key Figures of Cases’ ICTR <http://unictr.unmict.org/en/cases/key-figures-cases> accessed 11 June 2016.
168.
ibid.
169.
ibid.
170.
‘Rwanda Genocide Trial Opens in France’ The Guardian (4 February 2014) <http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/04/rwanda-genocide-trial-opens-france-pascal-simbikangwa> accessed 11 June 2016.
171.
ibid.
172.
The Prosecutor v. Pauline Nyiramasuhuko and Arsène Shalom Ntahobali, Judgment [2011] ICTR.
173.
ibid at [9].
174.
ibid.
175.
‘About the MICT’, United Nations Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals, 2012) <http://www.unmict.org/en/about> accessed 11 June 2016.
176.
Security Council Resolution 1966, IRMCT (22 December 2010) <http://www.refworld.org/docid/4d270e432.html> accessed 11 June 2016.
177.
Mark Kersten, ‘The Rwanda Tribunal Closes — But Who Owns its “Legacy”?’ Justice in Conflict (18 December 2015) <http://justiceinconflict.org/2015/12/18/the-rwanda-tribunal-closes-but-who-owns-its-legacy/> accessed 11 June 2016.
178.
Prosecutor v. Jean-Paul Akeyesu, Judgment [2001] ICTR <http://unictr.unmict.org/en/cases/ictr-96-4> accessed 11 June 2016.
179.
Al Toun and Al Toun Group v Council, Order of 14 December 2012 (2013/C 55/25) Official Journal of the European Union <http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:62012TN0512&from=EN> accessed 11 June 2016.
180.
Council v. Front Polisario and Commission, Case C-104/16 P.
181.
Court of Justice of the European Union, Press Release, 13 September 2016. Advocate General’s Opinion in Case C-104/16 P Council v Polisario Front. http://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2016-09/cp160094en.pdf.
182.
Ibid.
183.
Ibid.
184.
Ibid.
185.
Ibid.
186.
Ibid.
187.
Ibid.
188.
‘Europe’s Court of Justice Voids EU Agricultural Trade Agreement With Morocco’ Morocco World News (10 December 2015) <http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2015/12/174803/europes-court-of-justice-voids-eu-agricultural-trade-agreement-with-morocco/> accessed 11 June 2016.
189.
Western Sahara Campaign UK v. Commissioners for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs [2015] EWHC 2895 (Admin) <http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2015/2898.html> accessed 11 June 2016.
190.
ibid.
191.
ibid at [1].
192.
ibid at [55].
193.
ibid at [44].
194.
Nestle Inc. v. John Doe [2014] SCOTUS.
195.
ibid.
196.
Lawrence Hurley, ‘U.S. top court rejects Nestle bid to throw out child slavery suit’ Reuters (11 January 2016) <http://uk.reuters.com/article/usa-court-nestle-idUKL2N14V11120160111> accessed 11 June 2016.
197.
‘Shell to face Nigeria oil spill lawsuit’ BBC News (18 December 2015) <http://www.bbc.com/news/business-35134704> accessed 11 June 2016.
198.
Friday Alfred Akpan (Ikot Ada Udo) v. Shell [2013] District Court of The Hague.
199.
ibid.
200.
ibid.
201.
‘Dutch court: Shell can be liable for Nigeria spills’ Al Jazeera (18 December 2015) <http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/12/dutch-court-shell-liable-nigeria-spills-151218120516428.html> accessed 11 June 2016.
202.
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203.
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E.J. Ball Professor of Law, University of Arkansas School of Law, Fayetteville, AR, USA
Uche Ewelukwa Ofodile

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International Criminal Court, The Hague, The Netherlands
Chile Eboe-Osuji
School of Law, University of Bradford, Bradford, United Kingdom
Engobo Emeseh

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Ewelukwa Ofodile, U. (2018). Africa, International Courts/Tribunals and Dispute Settlement: Year in Review 2015. In: Eboe-Osuji, C., Emeseh, E. (eds) Nigerian Yearbook of International Law 2017. Nigerian Yearbook of International Law , vol 2017. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71476-9_16

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