Another win for Africa

Africa in the Moot is an NPO that aims primarily to support African law students’ participation in the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Competition (the Vis Moot), the largest international commercial arbitration Moot competition in the world. Around 400 teams participate each year, yet historically African teams’ representation has been less than 1%.

Among its many endeavours, Africa in the Moot co-hosts the East Africa Vis Pre-Moot in Nairobi. This is the only in-person Vis Pre-Moot in Sub-Saharan Africa and is a significant step towards making the Vis Moot more tangible for talented African teams. This year Africa in the Moot has already succeeded in increasing African representation by sending 11 of their teams to the Vis Moot competitions in Vienna and Hong Kong. Kenya’s team from Strathmore Law School placed best out of the African teams which competed.

Africa in the Moot was recently honoured at the Global Arbitration Review (GAR) Awards 2023 in Paris, France, where it won the award for Best Innovation by an Organization or Individual. This award particularly recognised the inaugural East Africa Pre-Moot held in February 2022.

The East Africa Pre-Moot has now become an annual event, and in the second iteration held in February 2023, Africa in the Moot and its partners hosted ten teams from seven different countries – Ethiopia, Mozambique, Uganda, Lesotho, Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria. The prevailing team was Strathmore Law School (Kenya) and the runner up was University of Pretoria (South Africa).

At the pre-moot the students and their coaches had the opportunity to advance their knowledge and skills in international arbitration over two intensive days of training and workshops on the Vis Moot problem, led by global lawyers from Jones Day and De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, alongside representatives from Loyola University (Chicago). The official pre-moot competition then took place over two days, with each round presided over by esteemed Kenyan practitioners.

This event was a life-changing experience for many participants, including Kaylee Haddington of University of Pretoria. “The East Africa Pre-Moot nurtured an environment for bright African minds to unify and illuminate their path to success in the Vis Moot. Africa in the Moot has provided a unique opportunity to future African legal professionals to revolutionise the world of international arbitration,” she commented.

“The Pre-Moot has been an eye-opening experience, introducing and connecting me to the wonderful fellow Africans who are passionate about their own growth and development of Africa,” noted Borga Delessa Daba, of Team Addis Ababa. “Africa in the Moot’s vision of creating a living community has become a reality, as I now find myself in a vibrant network of mutual dedication and support.”

These sentiments were echoed by Aisha Abdallah, Head of Dispute Resolution at Anjarwalla & Khanna (ALN). “ALN Kenya is proudly affiliated with Africa in the Moot. Its mission to unlock the potential of law students in Africa fits perfectly with our firm’s vision of developing African legal talent. The 2023 Pre-Moot Conference in Nairobi was enriching for students and Africa in the Moot has already broken the record by increasing the number of African participants at the Vis Moot,” she noted.

For further information on the organisation please visit www.africainthemoot.com, find them on LinkedIn, or make contact via email at africainthemoot@gmail.com

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