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    • US-Africa Leaders Summit

    Is regional trade the key to human rights enforcement in Africa?

    Trade between African countries is now scant, but could increase significantly once new WTO rules are implemented. That could present an opportunity to link regional trade with enforcement of human rights commitments through the African Union, some African civil society leaders argue.

    By Jeff Tyson // 07 August 2014

    African civil society leaders gathered on Wednesday at the U.S. House of Representatives to present a series of recommendations meant to boost peace, human rights, security, democracy and economic growth on the continent.

    One key discussion point was the African Union’s ongoing struggle to enforce key human rights agreements. The surprising solution, according to some: more regional trade within Africa.  

    Soraya Aziz Souleymane, a development specialist from the Democratic Republic of Congo, said the AU doesn’t have enough coercive power, as countries abide by AU treaties voluntarily, and the only way to enforce those agreements is through economic sanctions.

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    About the author

    • Jeff Tyson

      Jeff Tyson@jtyson21

      Jeff is a former global development reporter for Devex. Based in Washington, D.C., he covers multilateral affairs, U.S. aid, and international development trends. He has worked with human rights organizations in both Senegal and the U.S., and prior to joining Devex worked as a production assistant at National Public Radio. He holds a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in international relations and French from the University of Rochester.

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