A Human Rights Defender's Perspective

What Is The EAC Treaty? ·       In full it is knows as The Treaty for the Establishment of The East African Community. ·       It is a document that was signed on 30 th November 1999 in Arusha Tanzania by five countries namely; Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania.   It took effect on 7 th July 2000 following ratification by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania with the rest Rwanda and Burundi joining later in 2007. ·       Through the document (regional agreement), these countries/states agreed to cooperate commercially and politically for their common good. ·       It is the legal document that establishes an East African Community. The Treaty Establishes Institutions And Organs Of The EAC ·       The Organs of the EAC are: - a)     The Summit – Comprises of the Heads of Government of the EAC States. The summi...

I n regional news, The East African Court of Justice (EACJ) can now handle crimes of international proportion such as genocide, crimes against humanity, terrorism and war crimes following endorsement by East African Community Heads of State. The extension of the Court's mandate was made during the EAC Heads of State Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, last week, that was held under the theme, " Deepening and accelerating integration: Towards Political Federation ." The EACJ is the judicial body of the East African Community (EAC). The Court has jurisdiction over the interpretation and application of the East African Treaty of 1999. The Court   does not have competence to hear individual complaints of alleged violations of human rights law.   The Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community sets out in  Article 27 that, “The Court shall have such other original, appellate,  human rights  and other jurisdiction as will be determined by the Council at...