Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Greffrath, W.

Titel

Understanding the relationship between human rights abuse, state dysfunction and postcolonial sovereignty in Africa

Ist Teil von

• Koers (Potchefstroom, South Africa), 2017-12, Vol.82 (1), p.1-19

Ort / Verlag

Koers Society of South Africa

Erscheinungsjahr

2017

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

EZB Electronic Journals Library

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• This article explores the interrelationship between the phenomena of state dysfunction, human rights abuse and postcolonial states in the African context. The incidence and extent of state dysfunction and human rights abuse are evaluated empirically, which reveals that dysfunctional states in Africa are generally guilty of neglecting and violating human rights. In attempting to understand this apparent correlation, the politico-juridical construct of negative sovereignty, as formulated by Robert Jackson, is analysed with specific reference to postcolonial African states. The analysis suggests, paradoxically, that dysfunctional states may utilise the same normative precepts that served as justifications for decolonisation (such as self-determination and non-intervention) to obfuscate or obstruct the scrutiny of human rights domestically. From these insights it is posited that functional states, both in institutional and political terms, may serve as the most effective bulwark of human rights in Africa, and that the phenomenon of state dysfunction as it relates to domestic human rights violations warrants more consideration. In hierdie artikel word die verhouding tussen staatsverval en menseregteskendings in postkoloniale Afrika verken. Die voorkoms en omvang van beide fenomene word empiries geëvalueer, waarna die gevolgtrekking gemaak word dat swak- en disfunksionele state in die algemeen skuldig is aan menseregteskendings. Ten einde hierdie korrelasie te verstaan, word Robert Jackson se polities-juridiese konstruk van ‘negatiewe soewereiniteit’ ingespan met spesifieke verwysing na post-koloniale Afrikastate. Die uitkoms van hierdie analise dui op ʼn paradoks deurdat disfunksionele state dikwels gebruik maak van dieselfde normatiewe voorskrifte wat dekolonisering destyds gemotiveer het in hul pogings om kontemporêre menseregteskendings op eie bodem te verdoesel of te verdedig. Vanuit hierdie standpunt word daar aangevoer dat funksionele state, in beide politieke en institusionele terme, die mees doeltreffende teenvoeter vir menseregteskendings in Afrika mag wees en dat die problematiek van staatsverval ook spesifiek beskou moet word vanuit ʼn menseregteperspektief.