Cameroon ratifies Arusha-based African Court

Cameroon is the 29th African Union Member State to ratify the establishment of the Arusha-based African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

According to African Court Press Release, the West African country deposited its instrument of ratification of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the establishment of the Court on 17 August, 2015 at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The other States which have already ratified are: Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Comoros, Congo, Gabon and The Gambia.

Others are: Ghana; Kenya, Libya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Niger, Uganda, Rwanda, Arab Saharawi Republic , Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo and Tunisia.

The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights is a continental court established by AU to enhance the protection of human and peoples’ rights in Africa.

In addition to the ratification of the Protocol, States have to make a Declaration required under Article 34(6) of the Protocol to allow individuals and NGOs to bring cases directly before the Court. "Without such Declaration, the Court would have no jurisdiction over cases brought by individuals and NGOs," said the press release.

So far only seven states have made the Declaration. These are: Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivore, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Rwanda and Tanzania.

The Court was established by virtue of Article 1 of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Establishment of an African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

The Protocol was adopted on 9 June 1998 in Burkina Faso and came into force on 25 January 2004.The Court officially started its operations in November 2006.

The AU is made up of 54 Member States.