It is regrettable that we see another issue of the Journal appear without the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights having become operational. One can only hope that the Court's Rules of Procedures will soon be finalised and that the Court will be up and running in 2008. In the meantime, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights has undergone some significant changes.
At the Commission's 42nd session, in November 2007, four new commissioners took their seats on the Commission: three with six-year terms (Ms Catherine Dupe Atoki (nominated by Nigeria); Ms Sopyata Maiga (from Mali); and Mr Yueng Kam John Yueng Sik Yuen (from Mauritius)), and one serving the remaining two years for Commissioner Babana's term (Ms Zainabou Sylvie Kayitesi (from Rwanda)). Following her re-election, Ms Angela Melo (from Mozambique) took her seat on the Commission for a second six-year term.
With seven women among the total of eleven commissioners, the representation of women on the Commission has reached a high point. The election of an all-women Bureau (consisting of Commissioners Sanji Monageng as Chairperson and Angela Melo as Vice-Chairperson), and the appointment of Ms Mary Maboreke (from Zimbabwe) as Secretary to the Commission, further ensures the strong role of women in the Commission.
In line with African Union directives, none of the new commissioners at the time of their election and taking office held positions in the executive of their nominating countries. Two are practising lawyers (Atoki and Muiga); one is a serving chief justice (Yueng); and one is the head of the national human rights institution (Kayitesi). Ms Atoki also serves as part-time member of the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria. Ms Kayitesi previously served as a member of the cabinet (as Minister of Public Administration and Labour). (It should be noted, however, that one of the other members of the Commission appointed in 2005, Commissioner Mumba Malila, has in the meantime been appointed as Attorney-General of Zambia.)
All the new commissioners hold legal qualifications, and all have some experience in human rights. Two of the new members (Ms Muiga and Ms Kayetsi) were active as members of civil society, both heading NGOs dealing with women and children's rights. They are also the only new members who have previously attended sessions of and engaged with the Commission. Between 1998 and 2001, Mr Yueng served on the UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.
With an average age of 53, the newly elected commissioners conform to recent trends of electing more active and energetic commissioners. Two of the new commissioners are comfortable in only one AU language (Ms Atoki, English; Ms Muiga, French). Hailing from Mauritius and Rwanda, respectively, Commissioners Yueng and Kayitesi are comfortable in both English and French.
The main focus of the Centre for Human Rights is research and education on human rights in Africa. While the Journal aims at furthering research, the Centre's educative goal is best served by the LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa). On a yearly basis, this programme brings together about 30 students from all over the continent to study international human rights law and democratisation from an African perspective. It is with great shock that we learnt that one of the alumnae of the 2000 LLM programme, Helen Kanzira, a Ugandan national, passed away recently. The cause of her death, complications arising from the birth of her sixth child, turned shock into exasperation that her death should have and could have been prevented.
In response to these circumstances, the Journal resolved to take up the issue of maternal mortality. In this issue, we publish a pertinent and topical contribution about access to emergency obstetric care in Uganda. We invite further contributions on issues pertaining to maternal mortality, infant mortality and reproductive health rights in Africa, for inclusion in our two forthcoming issues. More research is required on the topic, and the academic community should become involved in these issues. Without more awareness-raising programmes, the resolve may lack to reduce the world's maternal mortality rate by 75% from 1990 levels by the year 2015, as the Millennium Development Goals proclaim.
In this issue of the Journal, the evolving importance for human rights of regional economic communities comes under scrutiny in Ebobrah's article about the human rights jurisdiction of the ECOWAS Court. Two other contributions (by Bowman and Nicol-Wilson) focus on international courts (the ICC and the SCSL). The remaining contributions steer between issues of a continental focus (such as the APRM and the continental research agenda on children's rights) and country-specific discussions. Among these, the discussion about the new Eritrean law abolishing female circumcision stands out. A full text of this law is annexed to the discussion.
The editors thank the following people who acted as referees over the period since the previous issue of the Journal appeared: Cecile Aptel, Abiola Ayinla, Gina Bekker, Unity Dow, Ibrahima Kane, Daniel Kifle, Magnus Killander, Aurelie Latoures, Els Leye, Sandra Liebenberg, Michel Ndayikengurukiye, Joe Oloka-Onyango, William Schabas, Ann Skelton, Ann Strode, Mia Swart, Johan van der Vyver, Stella Vettori and Stu Woolman.
