Africa

The US Government announced on October 30th that the Central African Republic (CAR), Gabon, Niger, and Uganda will be removed from the list of 35 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries that are eligible for market access under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The announcement came on the eve of the 20th AGOA Forum in Johannesburg, South Africa, on the 2nd to 4th of November 2023. According to the US Government, CAR and Uganda have engaged in gross violations of internationally recognised human rights. This paper reflects on the decision, which is not the first by the Biden administration in the last few years. This paper argues that the recent decision by the US is an example of developed countries using trade incentives and sanctions to achieve their geopolitical interests in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) under the pretext of promoting human rights standards.

There has been a wave of incessant coups in Africa, starting in Mali in 2020. Since then, it has unprecedentedly spread to 6 countries in 3 years. Other countries include Guinea (2021), Chad (2021), Sudan (2021), Burkina Faso (2022), Niger (2023), and most recently, Gabon in August 2023 have experienced coups. The coup leaders deposed elected leaders, forestalled elections, or even overthrew leaders who held on to powers for over 50 years. It has also caused the rise of a faction among African leaders. Countries with military regimes declare support for one another and daring regional bodies like the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to take any disciplinary action. This post examines the effect of the rising political instability in African countries on the African Union’s (AU) effort to implement the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

The African Sovereign Debt Justice Network, (AfSDJN), is a coalition of citizens, scholars, civil society actors and church groups committed to exposing the adverse impact of unsustainable levels of African sovereign debt on the lives of ordinary citizens. Convened by Afronomicslaw.org with the support of Open Society for Southern Africa, (OSISA), the AfSDJN's activities are tailored around addressing the threats that sovereign debt poses for economic development, social cohesion and human rights in Africa. It advocates for debt cancellation, rescheduling and restructuring as well as increasing the accountability and responsibility of lenders and African governments about how sovereign debt is procured, spent and repaid.

June 30, 2023

Excerpts from the Introduction by James Thuo Gathii

This reflection captures the events of the second day of the African International Economic Law Network’s (AfIELN) 6th Biennial Conference held at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).

This reflection captures the events of the first day of the African International Economic Law Network’s (AfIELN) 6th Biennial Conference held at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).

The European Law Students' Association (ELSA) is issuing the Call for the Host of the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition on WTO law, with the technical support of the World Trade Organization. We are looking for institutions to host Regional Rounds in Africa, the Americas, and Asia in the Spring of 2024.

The Journal of Energy and Natural Resources Law invites contributions to a special issue on the Energy Justice Framework: Perspectives, Reinterpretation and Implementation in Africa and the Global South. We welcome submissions, particularly from Global South scholars, exploring the concept of energy justice and its framework from multiple situated contexts, together with strategic legal approaches toward its implementation in energy systems.

The UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) is sponsoring 6 scholarships for African mature undergraduate and post-graduate students/researchers interested in trade and investment to participate in our inaugural Joint University Study Tour (JUST) Summer Programme from June 5-9 2023 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Future Africa Chair in Global Equity in Africa at the University of Pretoria (UP) invites applications for one (1) Post-Doctoral candidate.