African Lawof Coups and the Situation in Eritrea: A Test for the African Union’s Commitment to Democracy

This article contends that the severely repressive manner in which Eritrea has been governed in the last ten years violates the right of the Eritrean people to democratic governance. In particular, the refusal of the transitional Government of Eritrea (GoE) to end its transitional tenure in utter defiance of its own promises, transitional laws and the Constitution of Eritrea fits the definition of unconstitutional change of government proscribed by the African Union (AU). This article calls upon the AU’s Peace and Security Council to urge the GoE expeditiously to establish democratic governance in accordance with regional, international and Eritrea’s own legal standards. Should this demand fall upon deaf ears, this article calls for the AU to impose sanctions on the GoE.