The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law in the Horn of Africa

A webinar on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on constitutionalism and the rule of law in the Horn of Africa took place on 25 June 2020. Participants included invited panellists from the region and individuals from the African Union Commission (AUC), the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) and other experts and participants from the region.

The webinar was organized as one of the final sessions in a series of subregional engagements arranged in partnership with the AUC’s Department of Political Affairs. The session took place in a context where there is a recognition that the situation in the Horn of Africa is distinct from that of many other parts of the African continent. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the fragile political and socio-economic conditions in the Horn of Africa and has compounded challenges related to governance and democratization in the region. COVID-19 has spread in the region at a time when several countries are deeply engrossed in managing protracted security and political transitions. Some countries, such as Somalia and South Sudan, continue to struggle and remain in a state of ‘permanent’ transition. Others, such as Ethiopia and Sudan, continue in transitions from a relatively authoritarian system to wider democratization, which has involved the introduction and intensification of measures directed at strengthening the rule of law and constitutionalism.