The Mechanism hosts the 19th Annual ICRC All Africa International Humanitarian Law Competition Finals in Arusha

Mehanizam
Arusha
Winning Team: Zimbabwe (Great Zimbabwe University). From left to right: Ashley Muza, Kundiso Rusike and Carl Makomborero Muropa
Winning Team: Zimbabwe (Great Zimbabwe University). From left to right: Ashley Muza, Kundiso Rusike and Carl Makomborero Muropa

On Saturday 23 November 2019, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism) hosted the finals of the 19th Annual International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) All Africa IHL Competition at the Mechanism's Arusha premises.

The competition was organized as part of the ICRC’s mission to promote further understanding of international human rights law and brought together teams of undergraduate students from English-speaking African countries. This year’s competition had a total of eight teams from eight African countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe). The participants were assigned different roles relating to a fictitious humanitarian crisis in order for them to demonstrate their legal knowledge and skills.

The finals were presided over by Mechanism Judge William H. Sekule, Judge Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, President of the East African Court of Justice, Justice Masara from the High Court of Tanzania, Mr. Etienne Kuster, Adviser for Relations with Academic Circles, Law and Policy Forum, ICRC Geneva, Mr. Olivier Dubois, Head of Regional Delegation, ICRC Nairobi, and Mr. Hillary Kiboro, Legal Adviser, ICRC Nairobi. The winner of this year’s competition was the team from Great Zimbabwe University.

In furtherance of its mandate of promoting international criminal justice, the Mechanism, as well as its predecessor, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, has provided support to the ICRC All Africa IHL Competition for the past 19 years.