Decoding implementation of African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights decisions on communications in Botswana, Kenya and Ethiopia

Abstract

This article evaluates the implementation status of decisions by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights on individual communications involving Botswana, Ethiopia and Kenya. The analysis includes all publicly-available decisions on the merits against these countries as at the end of 2022. The primary objective is to determine whether these states have complied with the Commission’s decisions. The findings indicate that none of the three countries has fully complied with the decisions. Kenya has partially implemented two of the three decisions against it, while Botswana has only partially complied with one out of four decisions. Ethiopia has not complied with either of the two decisions against it. The article also reveals that the Commission’s monitoring of the implementation of its recommendations has been generally inadequate, except for the Endorois case against Kenya, where it undertook relatively commendable follow-up.