The African Court on Human and People’s Rights will have its headquarters built in Arusha by the Chinese company CRJE (East Africa) Ltd, solidifying China’s position as the primary supporter of recent efforts by continental organizations to obtain their own facilities.
The estimated total cost for the project is Tsh61 billion ($25.79 million), with host Tanzania contributing roughly Tsh9.4 billion ($3.7 million). The court stated that it intended to obtain the remaining funds from other “partners.”
The project, which will be carried out by CRJE on 24 hectares of land provided by Tanzania in Laki Laki on the outskirts of Arusha, is anticipated to be finished in two years.
The African Court, founded in 1998, moved its permanent seat from Addis Abeba in 2007, one year after it officially began operations, and has since been a tenant in the Tanzania National Parks main office building.
Tanzania’s own relationship with the court, however, has been somewhat rocky despite the most recent demonstration of commitment. This is predominantly because of Article 34 of the protocol establishing the court, which grants it the authority to hear petitions submitted directly by individuals and civil society organizations without first exhausting all domestic court channels.
Tanzania formally declared its departure from the contentious clause in November 2019, noting its displeasure with the way it had been used, particularly in situations where the government was being contested.
Only eight of the 34 African nations that have joined the African Court protocol yet are believed to have approved Article 34. In February 2016, Rwanda also formally withdrew from the provision.
The proposed headquarters will be near the locations of the present UN Mechanism for International Tribunals (formerly the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda) buildings.
The construction of Igad’s new headquarters in Djibouti costing $45 million was awarded to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation in April.
Chinese corporations, up from 12 percent in 2013, were in charge of 31% of large-scale infrastructure projects in Africa worth $50 million or more in 2020, according to consulting company Deloitte.
In contrast, Western contractors’ share of these projects fell from 37% to 12% over the same time period. This is the newest initiative in China’s expanding list of significant assistance in assisting continental entities to realize their aspirations to establish their own facilities.
