Mr. Ben Kioko Briefs Journalists on Legal Issues of the AU

6 Feb 2010 11:35 Africa/Lagos


Mr. Ben Kioko Briefs Journalists on Legal Issues of the AU

ADDIS ABABA, February 5, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Mr. Ben Kioko, the Legal Counsel of the African Union Commission (AUC), addressed journalists on the status of ratification of treaties, instruments and conventions of the OAU/AU; the abuse of the principle of universal jurisdiction; and the Hissene Habre case. Within the framework of the 14th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit, the issues were addressed during the press conference that took place on 31 January 2010; at the AU headquarters, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Mr. Kioko, announced the 15 Members of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council. The five countries elected to serve for a period of three years as from March 2010 are: Republic of Equatorial Guinea – Central Africa; Republic of Kenya – East Africa; Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya – North Africa; Republic of Zimbabwe – Southern Africa; Federal Republic of Nigeria – West Africa.

The other ten members of the African Union Peace and Security Council were elected for a term of two years, as from 1st April 2010. They are: Republic of Burundi – Central Africa;
Republic of Chad – Central Africa; Republic of Djibouti – East Africa; Republic of Rwanda – East Africa; Republic of Mauritania – North Africa; Republic of Namibia – Southern Africa; Republic of South Africa - Southern Africa; Republic of Benin - West Africa; Republic of Cote d'Ivoire – West Africa; Republic of Mali – West Africa.

Concerning the former Chadian president, Mr. Hissene Habre, Mr. Kioko said that the trial is expected to start in the next few months, soon after the AU and the European Union have worked out the budget requirements and issues of procedure.

He also mentioned that a detailed plan to merge the African Court of Human and People's Rights with the African Court of Justice, and to mandate the new entity to handle serious offences like war crimes, would be presented at the next AU summit in July.

“The African judicial organs should be able to deal with cases relating to unconstitutional changes of government so that is also another axis we will be looking at to confer jurisdiction upon the African court”, the Director said.


Source: African Union Commission (AUC)