-In his research for a PhD in International Criminal Law at the University of Buea, Dr. Eugene Ndzeghan Fai, cautioned African leaders to be careful when they embrace universal jutisdiction for the prosecution of international crimes.

“Immunities of state officials, international crimes and the exercise of universal jurisdiction” was the topic of the 208-page thesis submitted and defended by Dr. Eugene Ndzegham Fai, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy PhD in Public International Law, at the Faculty of Laws of the University of Buea, on Wednesday 30 July 2014. The work interprets and clarifies very succinctly the conflicts between the notion of immunities of state officials and the principle of universal jurisdiction in the prosecution of international crimes.

Principally and empirically, Dr. Eugene Ndzeghan calls for collaboration between political science advocates and legal practitioners especially because both branches of law strive for the betterment of mankind. “Instead of unnecessary conflicts between these two very important branches of international law, they should rather work closely in synergy so that in as much as the immunities of state officials are respected, international crimes should not go unpunished,” recommends Dr. Ndzegham Fai, who considers the work as particularly relevant to the African continent because the vast majority of cases prosecuted under universal jurisdiction were crimes allegedly committed by African dignitaries but which are tried mostly in the western world.

Dr. Ndzeghan wondered why western dignitaries are never tried in the developing world. The thinker-scholar advised African leaders to exercise caution as they embrace universal jurisdiction for the prosecution of international crimes because according to him this may just be another arm of western imperialism.

According to Prof Mike Yanou, who supervised the work, the candidate Eugene Ndzegham Fai is an exceptional and very assiduous student. This he said was because Dr. Ndzeghan Fai was admitted in the second batch of PhD students, but he finished and defended his work even before some students who came in the first batch. Prof Yanou said he was proud to have supervised the candidate, whom he easily found worthy to be admitted to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy PhD in International Law.

On his part, Professor Tabe Tabe Simon of the Faculty of law, University of Dschang who directed the most difficult questions to the candidate during the defense, described Dr. Ndyengham’s work as one of a kind in the domain of international criminal law. He lauded the candidate for his sound mind before concluding that the work meets the standard for a PhD. But he at once urged the candidate to do the suggested corrections so as to give the final copy the requisite content and quality.

The President of the jury, Professor Ndiva Kofele Kale, visiting professor of law at the University of Buea and international consultant, advocate and solicitor, extolled Dr. Ndzeghan for the thoroughness and clarity of his work.

He congratulated the candidate for holding his ground amidst the barrage of questions pushed to his face by members of the jury. Prof Kale expressed the conviction that the work will make a significant contribution to the development of public international law.

Commentators at the defense said the PhD in International Criminal Law only demonstrates the breadth and strength of the law department of the University of Buea, especially as it was the first doctorate degree in International Law to be awarded by UB.

On his part, the candidate Dr. Ndeghan Fai thanked the jury for the drilling questions during the defense, which he said has made him to admit that knowledge does not end at the PhD. But he however regretted the damage done to certain portions of the work due the delays in programming the defense. He said the defense was programmed 18 months after he submitted his thesis. He hoped that such delays should be avoided subsequently.