Unilateral Coercive Measures (Sanctions) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA) Presented by Attorney John Philpot and Attorney Karine Konan Dubois I.

INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT

The US policy of imposing economic and political sanctions on dozens of countries around the world has caused huge civilian suffering. Presented as an alternative to war, this policy is actually just another form of deadly aggression.1 This paper will examine the sanctions issue in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the legality of sanctions and some means of fighting the illegal sanctions policy of the United States and its allies. The illegal sanctions denounced are also frequently referred to as unilateral coercive measures (UCMs); we will use both terms in this paper. In March 2020, the Human Rights Council named Alena Douhan as the Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures (UCMs)2 . On October 28, 2021, she called for the lifting of UCMs on Zimbabwe.3 The issue of such measures is a major issue in 2023, both in Africa and around the world. UCMs are imperialist measures imposed by the USA and Europe which are contrary to the new multilateral world which is emerging. These sanctions imposed by the West have caused severe damages to countries in the Global South, including in Africa.