Since the introduction of democratic reforms in post-independent Africa, most states have been battling corruption to guarantee sustainable peace, human rights and development. Because of the devastating effects of corruption on the realisation of peace, human rights and sustainable development, the world at large and Africa in particular, has strived to fight against corruption with several states adopting national anti-corruption legislation and specialised bodies. Despite international and national efforts to combat corruption, the practice still remains visible in most African states without any effective accountability or transparency in decision-making processes by the various institutions charged with corruption issues. This has further hindered global peace, the effective enjoyment of human rights and sustainable development in the continent. This paper aims to examine the concept of corruption and combating corruption and its impact on peace, human rights and sustainable development in post-independent Africa with a particular focus on Cameroon. It reveals that despite international and national efforts, corruption still remains an obstacle to global peace in Africa requiring a more proactive means among states to achieve economic development. The paper takes into consideration specific socio-economic challenges posed by corruption and the way forward for a united Africa to combat corruption to pull the continent out of poverty, hunger and instability, and to transform it into a better continent for peace, human rights and sustainable development.
The aftermath of World War II and the advent of independence in post-colonial Africa was marked by aspirations for constitutionalism, democracy, the rule of law, and human rights protection. With the arrival of independence, primarily in 1960, many African states discerned the need to draft new constitutions that ensured effective democracy, human rights protection, and the participation of citizens in the democratic process. Especially after 1990, when multi-party systems evolved in Africa, these constitutions have been subjected to several alterations and amendments. The changes appear to have heightened the desire of the people for a substantial transformation towards constitutionalism, democracy, and effective protection of human rights and fundamental liberties. Despite several amendments to some African constitutions, for instance, in Cameroon, these constitutions, if not all, have failed, to some extent, to attain the object of transformation and the peoples" aspiration for change. Some of the constitutions adopted were only superficially different from the provisions they had replaced. What remains questionable is whether constitutional amendments in most post-colonial African states can be perceived or described as having attained complete transformation despite the fact that they have not been able to ensure the object of constitutionalism, democracy, the rule of law, and effective protection of human rights and freedoms. The purpose of this paper is to critically analyse the concepts of constitutionalism and transformative constitutionalism as a framework for democracy and human rights protection in post-colonial Africa with specific focus on Cameroon in a comparative perspective. The paper also aims to ascertain whether African states with modern constitutions are necessarily transformative in nature despite the lack of effective protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Since the outbreak of the Second World War, humanity has witnessed several challenges in the maintenance of global peace and justice and in the protection of refugees and asylum seekers, thus resulting from the outbreak of conflicts and threats posed by terrorist groups. These conflicts are classified into national and international conflicts. The impact of conflicts and inter-tribal wars between states or nations has witnessed a new form of migration from the twentieth century commonly referred to as refugee migration. This paper aims to analyse the principle of non-refoulement under the 1951 Refugee Convention and the obligations of the United Nations in ensuring the accountability of state parties toward the protection of refugees or displaced persons within their respective territories, with lessons from Nigeria and Cameroon. The paper argues that state parties to the said treaty are bound to protect everyone who is subject within their respective jurisdictions particularly, refugees and displaced persons. Effective protection is a necessary measure for ensuring that states follow the affirmative legal obligations undertaken after the ratification of the Refugee Convention. It is also an important approach for evaluating the credibility of the United Nations in accomplishing its objective toward peace, justice, and the protection of refugees or displaced persons.
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