Across Africa, violent conflicts, military coups, and state violence against protesters are eroding the rule of law, and a network of scholars and practitioners is working to stop that slide. The African Transitional Justice Research Network, established in 2022, aims to turn the African Union’s 2019 Transitional Justice Policy (AUTJP) from a limited document into a practical tool. The problem is stark: since the network formed, conflicts have erupted in Sudan and continued in the DRC, Mozambique, and Ethiopia; more than nine military coups have occurred; and protests against corruption in Kenya have met with state violence. The AUTJP’s impact has so far been weak. The network brings together transitional justice scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to identify what actually works. By studying successful justice interventions and learning from failures across the continent, the team will produce targeted, African-centred research. The goal is to strengthen the rule of law, combat widespread gender-based crimes, address past atrocities, and prevent further democratic backsliding. If successful, this work could give human rights defenders and policymakers concrete, evidence-based strategies to protect fragile democracies and hold perpetrators accountable—shifting the AUTJP from a statement of intent into a force for transformative justice.
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Since the African Transitional Justice Research Network's establishment in 2022, the fragility of the rule of law in Africa has become an increasing concern, emphasizing the importance of our work. Violent conflicts have erupted in Sudan, while ongoing conflicts continue in the DRC, Mozambique, and Ethiopia. Over nine military coups have occurred, and authoritarianism is spreading. Protests against poor governance and corruption, such as those in Kenya, have faced state violence. Although the African Union's adoption of the Transitional Justice Policy (AUTJP) in 2019 appeared to offer a commitment towards the promotion of peace and justice on the continent, its impact has been limited. Given the ongoing challenges to democracy on the continent, stronger collaboration between transitional justice scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to leverage the AUTJP is thus crucial. Our nascent network has continued to collaborate and we have identified a number of priority areas to address African-specific justice needs, including combating widespread gender-based crimes, promoting effective ways of addressing past atrocities, and using the AUTJP to prevent democratic backsliding. We are really excited for this opportunity to expand our already vibrant network of scholars and practitioners as we endeavour to better support human rights defenders across the continent. By identifying successful justice interventions and lessons learned from those within the network, we shall develop targeted, policy-relevant, and African-centered research to strengthen the rule of law and advance the AUTJP's goals of transformative justice. Underpinning our project is a commitment to tackling global challenges through providing impactful research and innovation.
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