African court rules against SERAP over corruption case

There was a “David and Goliath” type court battle last week before the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights when Cape Verde and Zambia confronted Nigeria and Uganda over a corruption case instituted by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) before the court.

SERAP had in the suit No. 001/2013 sought an advisory opinion from the African court to decide whether or not “the growing poverty, under-development and grand corruption in Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa amount to violations of the human rights guaranteed under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and if so, whether the citizens of these countries are entitled to bring cases to seek justice before the court.”

SERAP had argued that, “Human rights should not be the preserve of the rich and…