Waiting for Justice

Summary

Important Steps

Undermining Factors

Insecure Political Landscape

Lack of Judicial Independence

Limited Government Support for Investigation

Legal and Institutional Obstacles

Necessary Steps: Guinea

Necessary Steps: International Community

The Imperative to Act

Recommendations

To the Guinean Government, Particularly the President and Justice Minister

To the Procureur de la République and Procureur Général

To the Panel of Investigative Judges

To the Government of Burkina Faso

To United Nations, Intergovernmental, and Government Partners

(including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund and Development Program, the European Union, the Economic Community of West African States, the United States, France, Germany, and the Peacebuilding Commission)

To the International Criminal Court Prosecutor

To the United Nations Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and the Office’s Team of Experts for Rule of Law/Sexual Violence in Conflict

Methodology

I. Background

II. The Need for Justice

III. Steps toward Justice

Establishment and Offices

Victims

Suspects

Investigating Possible Mass Graves

IV. The Need for Greater Progress

V. Challenges to the Investigation’s Progress

An Insecure Political Landscape

Lack of Judicial Independence

Limited Guinean Government Support

Expressed Support for Accountability

Lack of Basic Support and Limited Security for the Panel of Judges

Key Suspects in Government Posts

Outstanding Requests for Assistance

Legal and Institutional Obstacles

Insufficient Protection of Rights of the Accused

Lack of Framework for Protection and Support for Witnesses and Victims

Inadequate Laws

VI. International Partners

The International Criminal Court

The United Nations

The Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence  in Conflict

The Human Rights Council and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Other United Nations Actors

The European Union, the Economic Community of West African States, the United States, France, and Germany

The Peacebuilding Commission

XII. Domestic Constituencies

Acknowledgements