Members of the Africa Group for Justice and Accountability Abdul Tejan-Cole Dapo Akande SIERRA LEONE NIGERIA Former Executive Director of the Professor of Public International The Africa Group for Justice and Open Society Initiative for West Law, University of Oxford Accountability works to Africa Champion Justice and Accountability, Athaliah Molokomme Enhance Complementarity BOTSWANA by Building Capacity, Ambassador and Permanent Support the International Representative of Botswana to Criminal Court and Universal Switzerland and the UN Office Ratification of the Rome in Geneva, and former Attorney- Statute, Richard J. Goldstone General of Botswana Fatiha Serour Promote Facilitation, SOUTH AFRICA ALGERIA Mediation and International Former Chief Prosecutor of the Director of Serour Associates for Cooperation, United Nations International Inclusion and Equity, former UN Foster Transparency and Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda Deputy Special Representative Open Dialogue. and the former Yugoslavia for Somalia. MISSION STATEMENT Hassan Bubacar Jallow GAMBIA The Africa Group Chief Justice of The Gambia, former Prosecutor at the Mohamed for Justice and Navi Pillay International Criminal Tribunal SOUTH AFRICA Chande Othman for Rwanda and International Accountability (AGJA) TANZANIA Former UN High Commissioner Residual Mechanism for supports efforts to “ for Human Rights Criminal Tribunals Former Chief Justice of Tanzania strengthen justice and accountability measures in Africa through domestic and regional capacity building, advice and outreach, and “ Tiyanjana Maluwa Betty Kaari enhancing co-operation Catherine Samba- Panza MALAWI Murungi between Africa and the KENYA CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC H. Laddie Montague Chair International Criminal Former Transitional President in Law, Pennsylvania State Advocate of the High Court Court. of the Central African Republic University of Kenya Achievements AGJA has: consolidated its role as a credible player that fosters and enables dialogue among diverse justice- related sectors; established itself as a new, African-led voice to promote international justice in Africa; grown significantly in terms of popular recognition, being cited in local, regional and international news History items, and has been consistently raising its social media profile; African nations and communities have been important players in the global struggle for the rule of law and the emerged as a key interlocutor for like-minded fight against impunity for international and transnational groups and civil society organisations working in organised crimes. For decades, African states, diplomats, the field of human rights and international justice and community leaders have played critical roles in the resulting in important players (the ICC, African development of international criminal justice. In recent Union, civil society organisations) expecting AGJA years, however, the relationship between African states, to play a facilitating, mediating and diplomatic role; the African Union and the international tribunals like the International Criminal Court (ICC) have become strained, contributed to a changed narrative regarding the result of conflicting perceptions about the Court’s justice and accountability on the African continent. role and broader justice and accountability measures in Following the withdrawal announcements of Africa. To date, however, there has been no systematic Burundi, The Gambia and South Africa, AGJA effort to identify and develop means to overcome such members engaged in backdoor diplomacy and challenges or to engage with the diverse concerns of approached the respective Foreign and Justice African states. Ministers to convince them to publish public statements of support for the ICC; The Africa Group came together in November 2015 to engaged with AU officials and diplomats in multiple advance justice and accountability measures in Africa meetings. The AU has opened its doors to AGJA by and focus on contentious issues such as the current receiving a delegation in Addis Ababa; ICC-Africa relationship. The Africa Group also aims to strengthen local accountability measures, such as held side events at the Assembly of States Parties domestic crime units for international crimes, hybrid of the ICC hosted by several African states; courts, and regional justice initiatives. provided advice for The Gambia’s Truth, One of the Africa Group’s unique features is its Reconciliation and Reparations Commission and independence from governments, the ICC, and other completed its first mission, including consultations organisations. This has been indispensable to the with key actors, at the invitation of the Minister of Group’s mandate. Justice; The Wayamo Foundation acts as the Group’s secretariat contributed to a series of behind-the-scenes and convener. meetings on contentious issues; actively engaged in capacity-building workshops for investigators and prosecutors in West and East Africa; contributed to the vanguard of international criminal justice; recent highlights include the appointment of Navi Pillay as an ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice, Betty Murungi’s appointment to the UN Commission of Inquiry on the 2018 protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the selection of Richard Goldstone, Hassan Bubacar Jallow and Mohamed Chande Othman as members of the “Independent Expert Review of the ICC”..