On April 24, 2026, the Pan African Lawyers Union, in partnership with Atrocities Watch Africa, submitted a request for an advisory opinion by the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Arusha, Tanzania, on universal jurisdiction in Africa.
The request asks the Court to interpret Articles 1 and 58 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to clarify the scope of AU Member States’ legal obligations to ensure that individuals suspected of serious international crimes are held criminally responsible, including clarification on obligations to pursue domestic prosecution, extradition to an appropriate jurisdiction or cooperation in other justice efforts. The request seeks to advance accountability on the continent as one mechanism to address the proliferation of mass atrocities and gross violations of human rights.
The case will be of interest to African populations, in countries such as Ethiopia and Sudan, where victims have long been seeking accountability for serious human rights violations perpetrated by both state & non-state entities.
We look forward to the outcome of the case.
