Al Jazeera Centre for Studies is organising a book launch on African Borders and Secession in International Law by Dr. Dirdeiry Mohamed Ahmed on the 15th of April 2017, as part of the first day of the 11th Al Jazeera Forum.
Published by the Centre in March 2017, the book addresses the context in which post-colonial settings in Africa have emerged and discusses the difficulties of establishing sustainable regional border arrangements. It indicates that the decision of African states to respect the existing border delimitations without being legally obligated to do so caused uti possidetis to become a new legal principle. In addition, the Cairo Declaration led to the development of the international practice of respecting and maintaining the regional conditions that came about at the time of independence. Consequently, fait accompli, which maintains border demarcations created by colonisation, was developed. As a result, a customary regime that changed the way international law is applied in Africa was established; and it primarily sought to prevent re-demarcation and prohibit secession.
