Alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, and particularly arbitration, have been gaining increasing attention across Africa.
This development is situated within a historical context where African states were often sidelined in the global legal landscape. For years, their normative and judicial powers were indeed considered insufficient to meet the demands of international commerce, compounded by perceptions of widespread corruption.
However, this landscape is shifting.
As efforts to combat corruption intensify across the continent, arbitration—especially in the context of investment disputes—is undergoing a profound transformation.
In this sense, Africa is no longer a passive recipient of external arbitration models; it is actively shaping and adapting them to suit its own legal systems and economic priorities.
This ongoing reform signals a broader reconfiguration of the continent’s legal landscape, as Africa asserts a more prominent role in the global arbitration community, aiming to enhancing its legal frameworks and attracting more international investment.
My contributions on this topic:
To be published: « Dans l’affaire Global Voice, les juges baissent-il la voix face aux allégations de corruption ? Commentaire de l’arrêt de la Cour de cassation du 19 juin 2024 dans l’affaire Global Voice Group c. République de Guinée”
➢ « Malgré les feux de la critique, la Cour de cassation confirme sa position sur l’accueil des allégations de corruption soulevées pour la première fois devant les juges de l’annulation… et il faut s’en réjouir ! – Commentaire de l’arrêt de la Cour de cassation du 7 septembre 2022 dans l’affaire Libye c. Sorelec”, In B-Arbitra, Belgian Review of Arbitration, 2023, n°1, pp.108-124
➢ “Quand les juges de l’annulation prennent le relai des arbitres dans la lutte contre la corruption – Commentaire de l’arrêt de la Cour d’appel de Paris du 17 novembre 2020 dans l’affaire Libye c. Sorelec”, In B-Arbitra, Belgian Review of Arbitration, 2021, n°1, pp.177-188, with Maude Lebois
➢ “Retour sur l’exequatur des sentences CIRDI” in Un demi-siècle africain d’arbitrage d’investissement CIRDI – Regards rétrospectifs et prospectifs, LGDJ/EJA, 2019, pp.325-333, with Khaled Houda