Category: Transitional justice

Pursuing an integrated approach to Transitional Justice and Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Since the emergence of both fields of practice in the 1990s, Transitional Justice (TJ) and Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) policies, projects and programmes have operated simultaneously in many (post-conflict) settings. However, most often TJ and DDR have been developed and implemented in complete separation from one another. This is despite the recognition that both…
Democratic Republic of Congo – Fight against impunity: The needs and expectations of victims of serious human rights violations as a compass

ASF has been supporting victims of international crimes in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2004. In close collaboration with the Congolese authorities, UN agencies and international partners, ASF documents international crimes and offers legal and judicial support to victims before, during and after the trial.
Transitional Justice and (Post)Colonial Justice

In collaboration with the Leuven Institute of Criminology, ASF published a series of articles examining the challenges and questions raised by the recent rise of processes to address the historical injustices of slavery and colonialism, particularly in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.
ExPEERience Talk #9 – Using digital to support victims and promote justice: the Back-up project of We are NOT Weapons of War

For this 9th ExPEERience Talk, we are delighted to welcome Céline Bardet, founder of the organisation We are NOT Weapons of War (WWOW) whose mandate is to fight sexual violence in conflicts, in particular against rape as a weapon of war. She will talk about the importance, in the face of these issues, of support…
Thomas Kwoyelo trial: Prosecution moves close to wind-up presenting its witness

The Trial of Thomas Kwoyelo resumed on 17th April 2023 and is scheduled to run up to the end of the month at the International Crimes Division of the High Court (ICD) sitting at Gulu High Court in Gulu City, Northern Uganda.
Transitional Justice & Historical Redress: A special series on historical injustices stemming from slavery and colonialism

Over the next few weeks, ASF will be publishing a series of articles examining the challenges and questions raised by the recent rise of processes implemented to address the historical injustices of slavery and colonialism, particularly in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement. This special series is a collaboration between Avocats Sans Frontières…
Consolidating discussions on transitional justice: the debate on access to land rights in the Acholi sub-region

In recent years, numerous and continued conflicts about land use and ownership in the Acholi subregion have led to strong debate among the Ugandan population. But the discussions surrounding this issue have too often omitted to include it in the broader debate around transitional justice.
Press release: International Court of Justice Ruling in the DRC v. Uganda Case: Ensuring a Victim-Focused and Effective Implementation of the Reparations Order

On 9 February 2022, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Uganda to pay $325 million in reparations to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for damages to persons, property and natural resources resulting from Uganda’s military intervention in the wars in the DRC between 1998-2003. This follows on from the 2005 judgment in…
Press release: Publication of the expert report on Belgian colonial past: Signatories call for a holistic and inclusive justice process

On the occasion of its presentation to Parliament, the signatories commend the publication of the report written by the multidisciplinary team of experts mandated by the Special Parliamentary Commission on Belgium’s Colonial Past. This report is a new milestone towards a better understanding of the Belgian colonial era. It constitutes an important contribution to a…
Reparation to victims of international crimes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a major challenge in the fight against impunity

ASF has been active in the fight against impunity and the field of international justice for over 15 years in the DRC. During that time, the organization has witnessed great progress but regrets that current mechanisms are still not up to the challenges at stake.