1 Seminar on the Uprising of the Arabic World The Arabic ... - Unisa

<strong>Seminar</strong> on the Uprising of the Arabic World
The Arabic world extends over 10 countries in Africa and 12 countries in Asia. The main common
features of these countries give rise to concerns on governance, democracy, rule of law, transition of
power, and radicalism. Some of these countries have regimes that have remained in power for more than
four decades e.g. Mouammar Ghaddafi of Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya who has been
a president of that country for the last 42 years (since 1969). In East Africa, Omar Bashir of Sudan has
been a president for the last 21 years (since 1989). In Sub Saharan Africa, Jose dos Santos of Angola has
been a president for the last 32 years (since 1979), and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has been a president
for the last 31 years (since 1980). In West Africa, Obiang Mbasago of Equatorial Guinea has been a
president for the last 32 years (since 1979), and Blaise Campaore of Burkina Fasso has been a president
for the last 24 years since 1987. This pattern is unusual in open democracies.
Recently the Arabic world has witnessed uprisings against their regimes, which will affect many facets of
the Arabic world. Africa is not in insulated from these uprisings because of the contagious geography
between Africa and the Arabic world. Moreover expectations for a better life for the African and Arab
people require policy responses in different sectors. Theoretically the social contract between states and
their people should rely upon a just and fair allocation of resources and by definition of adequate policies
to advance sustainable development in open and democratic societies. In reality, this is not what has
happened in many African and Arabic states. Inadequate constitutional systems and failed legal
transplants (such as of the Italian Civil Code in Ethiopia) have opened the way for the emergence and
perpetuation of oppressive regimes and for an “expropriation” of the common political will of their
citizens. This has resulted in sharp disparities between states upholding the rule of law e.g. the Republic
of South Africa, in which peaceful transition of power and transition to democracy were governed by the
law, and authoritarian states such as Egypt and Zimbabwe, and many others, where a transition of power
and progressive transformation can no longer take place unless the suppression of all vital freedoms is
first removed.
Justifications of uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, and elsewhere in the Arabic will only decline once
the essential constitutional guarantees for liberties and freedom, democracy and the rule of law are
conquered. Inevitably, this will impact on the stability of many countries in Africa including the Republic
of South Africa.
It is thus opportune to hold an academic debate on the uprisings in the Arabic World, especially in so far
as they affect African countries, African-Arabic relations, and South African - Arabic relations. These key
issues to be addressed by our envisaged workshop by way of brief discussion papers as follows:
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Programme:
introduction by Professor Christof Heyns
Chair Ms Nomthandazo Ntlama
1. Pos-uprising Democracy in Egypt (his Excellency Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary -
H E Dr M B E M Zayed)
2. Uprisings and Security Issues (Prof Hussein Solomon, University of the Free State)
3. The Role of the (Post-Liberation) Army in Second Liberation Revolutions and Wars – With
Emphases on Egypt (Professor Tinyiko Sam Maluleke, Unisa)
Chair Mr Dial Ndima
4. The Failure of Popular Uprisings in Africa (Prof S Guttu, IARS, Unisa)
5. The end of „the end of history‟? (Prof N L Mahao, Unisa)
6. The relationship between the Arabic world and the African Union (Dr Siphamandla Zondi,
Institute for Global Dialogue)
Chair Mrs Mirelle Ehrenbeck
7. Constitutionalism and Stability in North of Africa (Prof Mangu UNISA)
8. Republicanism in the Arabic World (Khaled Qasaymeh, Unisa)
9. Chance or Risk of Contagion from the North of Africa to sub-Saharan countries (Prof A
Thomashausen, Unisa)
Venue: Institute for African Renaissance Studies, 287 Skinner Street, Pretoria, City of Tshwane
Date: 2 March 2011
Time: 9:00 – 13:30
Organisers:
Institute of Foreign and Comparative Law & Institute for African Renaissance Studies
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Khaled Qasaymeh
André Thomashausen
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