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Refugee Movements in Africa and the OAU Convention on Refugees

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2009

Emmanuel Opoku Awuku
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Extract

“There is no doubt that once, twice or even several times in your life, you have had to stop for a moment in a street or as you enter into a village, to express sorrow over the lot of a man, a woman or a child looking haggard, badly dressed, underfed and not knowing where to go. Then, you were overwhelmed with a feeling of compassion and a sigh of sadness gripping you by the throat. You could not help but felt concerned and said to yourself it was your duty to ‘make a gesture’ thus listening to the dictate of your conscience.”

Dr Peter Onu, OAU Assistant Secretary General

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of African Law , Volume 39 , Issue 1 , Spring 1995 , pp. 79 - 86
Copyright
Copyright © School of Oriental and African Studies 1995

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References

1 The African Refugees, newsletter published by the OAU Bureau for Refugees, Addis Ababa, 1983, 1.

2 See Collection of International Instruments Concerning Refugees, UNHCR, Geneva, 1990, 10–39.

3 Ibid., 40–44.

4 Kibreab, Gaim, “Reflections on the refugee problems: a critical analysis of some basic assumptions”, Scandinavian Institute of African Studies, Uppsala, 1993, 54.Google Scholar

5 African State Parties to the 1951 UN Convention: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, SwazUand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

6 Above, n. 2, 193–200.

7 An Introduction to the International Protection of Refugees, UNHCR, Geneva, June 1992, 31.

8 Refugee Control Act 1965, Government Gazette, Tanzania, 1965.

9 Above, n. 7, 32.

10 See Charter of the United Nations and Statute of the International Court of Justice, United Nations, New York.

11 See Charter of the Organization of African Unity, Addis Ababa, May 1963. Article II(1): The purposes of the OAU are (1) to promote the unity and solidarity of the African States; (2) to coordinate and intensify their co-operation and efforts to achieve a better life for the peoples of Africa; (3) to defend their sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence; (4) to eradicate all forms of colonialism from Africa; and (5) to promote international co-operation, having due regard to the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The principles of the OAU are: (1) the sovereign equality of all Member States; (2) non-interference in the internal affairs of States; (3) respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each State and for its inalienable right to independent existence; (4) peaceful settlement of disputes by negotiation, mediation, conciliation or arbitration; (5) unreserved condemnation, in all forms, of political assassination as well as of subversive activities on the part of neighbouring States or any other State; (6) absolute dedication to the total emancipation of the African territories which are still dependent; and finally (7) affirmation of a policy of non-alignment with regard to all blocs.

12 Weis, Paul, “The Convention of the OAU governing specific aspects of refugee problems in Africa”, Human Rights Journal, 1970, 457.Google Scholar

13 A/AC.96/815, 11.

14 Above, n. 12, 459.

15 For Specimen of Travel Document, see above, n. 2, 31.

16 Above, n. 12, 452.

17 Bakwesegha, C. J., “The OAU Convention and African refugees”, in Yassin, El-Ayouty (ed.), The Organization ofAfrican Unity after Thirty Tears, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1994, 87.Google Scholar

18 Above, n. 11.