Arusha hopes to benefit from “court tourism”

(eTN) – News broke overnight that the Arusha-based African Court of Justice and Human Rights in Tanzania has issued an order for Gaddafi and his bunch of goons to appear before court and defend themse

(eTN) – News broke overnight that the Arusha-based African Court of Justice and Human Rights in Tanzania has issued an order for Gaddafi and his bunch of goons to appear before court and defend themselves against a series of charges brought against them over massive violations of human rights. An “Order for Provisional Measures” has also been issued by the African court and reportedly served upon Gaddafiโ€™s regime immediately to stop any further violence being inflicted on the Libyan population.

The court, the equivalent of the European Court of Human Rights, is also set to issue an international arrest warrant against Gaddafi and his cronies, should they not appear and/or be represented to offer a defense. The court action was reportedly being initiated by the African Commission on Human and Peopleโ€™s Rights, and while both institutions were set up by the African Union, it is intriguing to note that the AU sponsored visit by South Africaโ€™s president Zuma, and his utterances made while in Libya recently ostensibly to mediate but visibly intent to come to the aid of his fellow brother and leader, appears to be in stark contrast with the courtโ€™s decision to prosecute Gaddafi.

When, or rather if, the case goes ahead, should the International Criminal Court in The Hague not supersede any action in Arusha, the “safari capital of East Africa” can expect a boost by Libyan travelers coming to attend court and likely booking up all the suites in town, going by the regimeโ€™s and Gaddafiโ€™s known travel habits. His travels to African Union events were often marked by the arrival of hundreds of security personnel, dozens of hangerโ€™s on flown to the venue with a fleet of Gaddafiโ€™s aircraft, and some sources in Arusha are already hoping for a resulting business boom, when the case kicks off.

However, there is no guarantee that either Gaddafi, or any of his cronies implicated in the violence in Libya will voluntarily appear in court, and should the people of Libya get their hands on him, instant justice a la Ceausescu is the more likely outcome, though this would of course rob Arusha of a travel boom of lawyers, the media, and the accusedโ€™s entourage.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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