More than 200 people will gather from June 18 to 19, 2025, for an African International People’s Tribunal challenging International Monetary Fund and World Bank policies.
The tribunal will examine four key areas of concern regarding international financial institutions’ operations in Africa.
Organisers plan to address debt-dependent development models that prioritise creditor repayment over people-centred growth, said Fidélité Nshimiyimana, campaigns and communication manager at the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development.
The event will also scrutinise austerity measures that organisers say undermine public services and social protection systems across the continent.
Participants will examine what they describe as non-democratic policy designs that silence African voices while prioritising market-first solutions.
The tribunal will address global financial systems that organisers characterise as rooted in colonial legacies, systemic extraction and inequality.
Lawyers, including Lyla Latif, Diana Gichengo of Tisa Kenya, and Farheen Kassim, will participate in the proceedings.
Witnesses will include civil society directors, members of parliament, women’s groups and youth representatives.
The African Forum and Network on Debt and Development, MEJN ORG, SEATINI Uganda, and ESCR-Net are among the leading organisations supporting the event.
The Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development initiated the tribunal concept.
By Winston Mwale, AfricaBrief