Philip Ademola Olayoku has a doctorate in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Ibadan. He is the founder and coordinator of the West African Transitional Justice Centre (WATJCentre) and the Chair of Marcel Advisory. He consulted on the media and terrorism project for the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) and served on the international advisory board of the Medecins Sans Frontieres for developing modules on their Speaking Out Case Studies. His research interests include transitional Justice, security studies, ethnicity, digital power dynamics and transnational relations on which he has several policy and research publications.
This book is divided into four parts that cover conceptual and theoretical issues; national transitional justice initiatives; continental and regional transitional justice initiatives; and strategies for implementing the African Union Transitional Justice Policy. The case studies were drawn from Central African Republic, Zimbabwe and Burundi as authored by a blend of scholars and practitioners knowledgeable about transitional justice practices on the continent. From theoretical consideration of balancing peace and justice, through the political processes of devising a continental policy for transitional justice, the book draws attempts at operationalising transitional justice mechanisms in Africa and concludes by proposing measures to harness the potentials of continental and regional bodies, and their organs to create sustainable measures for implementing the AUTJP.
This book delves into the historical context of the practice of transitional justice in the West Africa, covering a period from 1990 to 2020. The author explores the political dynamics of justice dispensation in post-conflict contexts though a comparative analyses of legal frameworks in different national contexts including Liberia, Sierra Leone, Senegal. He also examines thematic issues like the implementation of amnesties, victims’ marginalisation and neglect and ineffective reconciliation processes. The book helps us understand the challenges of implementing transitional justice processes in the subregion in order to adopt more sustainable transitional justice practices in post-conflict peacebuilding and reconstruction.
This edited volume explores the traditional processes for the dispensation of justice with case studies drawn from South Africa, Burundi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The book was conceived on the premise of unsuccessful attempts at implementing transitional justice processes on the continent due to poor conceptualisation and the reliance on international standards that fail to reflect African realities. These processes have thus far alienated victims by being compromised by state actors leading the processes. The authors thus propose the incorporation of tradition-based practices where local communities take ownership in the initiative and implementation of transitional justice processes as a continuum in contrast to being measures of political correctness.
This book looks at the nature of conflict and post-conflict in the Natal Midlands during the 1980s and 1990s by mapping the actors, institutions, relations and geographies that shaped the apartheid and post-apartheid era. The author delves into the root causes and nature of political violence through a reflexive approach in recalling childhood experiences that connects with regional and national events that characterized the era. The book discusses the themes of black-on-black violence, identity, ritualisation, alliances and memorialisation in contending that the biomedical psychotherapeutic approach of managing Natal’s transitioning phase have been ineffective as they failed to incorporate cultural enablers of trauma healing.
This book emphasises the underreported role of women as armed combatants during the apartheid era, which lasted for over three decades. The methodological approach of interrogating memoirs, poetry and textiles along with other archival sources enriched the narratives containing the history of 40 women in rewriting the stereotype of non-violence by showcasing their activities in the armed wing of the Inkatha Freedom Party and the paramilitary forces. It discusses combative motherhood as a political tradition in which materiality (the prioritisation of reproductive needs), discipline (through sexual abstinence), gender responsiveness (where women served as commanders and intelligence agents), and transnationalism (through collaboration with other guerrillas) defined the importance of women in bringing apartheid to an end in South Africa.