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Note: This document is from the archive of the Africa Policy E-Journal, published
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Africa: Human Rights Defenders
Africa: Human Rights Defenders
Date distributed (ymd): 981117
Document reposted by APIC
+++++++++++++++++++++Document Profile+++++++++++++++++++++
Region: Continent-Wide
Issue Areas: +political/rights+
Summary Contents:
This posting contains a press release and conference statement from Amnesty
International on the 2-4 November All-Africa Human Rights Defenders Congress
in Johannesburg.
For more information:
Press Releases from Amnesty International on Africa are archived at:
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news/press/africa.shtml
Amnesty International publications on Africa http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/aipub/1998/AFR/index.html
The African Human Rights Resource Center (http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/africa/)
has links to key African documents on human rights and other organizational
resources.
+++++++++++++++++end profile++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
[Correction: In the second part of the posting of a speech by Georges
Nzongola-Ntalaja, on November 11, the word "not" was omitted,
altering the meaning of a sentence. The setnece should read "Today,
the two countries seem determined to impose a weak regime in Kinshasa,
one that would not question their control over the eastern part of the
country .."]
AI INDEX: AFR 01/07/98
News Service 213/98
02 NOVEMBER 1998
African human rights defenders under attack
JOHANNESBURG
Fifty years on from the adoption by the United Nations of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Africans from all over the continent
continue to be killed, tortured and imprisoned for defending their rights,
according to delegates to the first ever All-Africa Human Rights Defenders
Congress, which is taking place in South Africa from 2-4 November.
Around 100 grassroots activists from some 44 African countries are participating
in the conference, which is the culmination of regional workshops in North,
East, West, Central and Southern Africa, all organized by Amnesty International
as part of a year-long campaign to mark the 50th anniversary of the UDHR.
The conference was officially inaugurated by Jacob Selebi, Director
General of the South African Department of Foreign Affairs and Pierre Sane,
Amnesty International Secretary General.
In his opening remarks Mr. Sane said: "African leaders have pledged
to uphold and promote the basic human rights of their citizens contained
in the UDHR. However, the reality behind this rhetoric is that they have
failed to live up to their promises."
In fact, as many of the delegates to this conference can personally
testify, throughout the continent, far from upholding these rights, governments
are doing everything they can to deny them to their citizens and torturing,
killing and jailing those brave individuals who try to hold the authorities
to account.
"Faced with such attacks, it is the duty of the international community
to provide protection to human rights defenders. For without their courage
and vision, there is no future for human rights in Africa," Mr. Sane
added.
Workshops taking place during the conference will focus on the threats
faced by human rights defenders in Africa, in particular the dangers faced
by women's rights activists; the role of journalists as promoters of human
rights; and setting up an Africa-wide network of human rights defenders
to monitor abuses and devise mechanisms for the protection of defenders.
In many of the countries represented, the state has either absolved
responsibility for protecting human rights or is responsible for violations
itself. In others, a collapsing state has seen human rights as the first
casualty. Human rights defenders have assumed the central role the government
can't or won't play and as a result are often targeted for gross abuses
themselves.
The defenders participating in the conferences come from many different
professions -- including non-governmental organization (NGO) workers, journalists,
lawyers, development field workers, women's activists and trade unionists.
They described the threats they face daily and how they handle harassment
from phone tapping to infiltration, arrest, torture and assassination.
In Tunisia, NGOs including the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women
(ATDF) have had their office under police surveillance, their members and
leaders imprisoned, interrogated, followed and harassed by police, their
meetings and other activities banned or disrupted, their mail confiscated
and their telephones tapped. The government has also instigated public
sleaze campaigns against some prominent defenders and jailed others on
trumped-up charges.
Conference participant Pius Njawe, director of the newspaper Le Messager,
the oldest independent newspaper in Cameroon, has been detained as a prisoner
of conscience on several occasions. He was most recently arrested in December
1997 following an article which questioned President Paul Biya's state
of health. While serving a one-year prison sentence, in extremely harsh
conditions, Pius Njawe was granted presidential clemency and released on
12 October 1998.
Since the start of the armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of
Congo this August, the situation for human rights defenders has become
bleak. On 6 August 1998, Jacques Semurongo, a leading member of the human
rights organization Heritiers de la Justice, was reportedly shot dead by
members of the armed opposition. Other human rights defenders have been
forced to flee the country. In Rwanda, human rights defenders face intimidation
and harassment - ranging from threats and public criticisms to arrests,
attacks and killings - which have ensured that few dare to publicly denounce
violations. Independent journalists, lawyers, religious officials and those
perceived as political opponents are all at risk.
In Zambia, the government continues to harass journalists. There are
still up to 20 cases of government-sponsored criminal charges outstanding
against The Post and other journalists.In September, charges of "conduct
likely to cause a breach of the peace" were still outstanding against
Masautso Phiri, a former editor of The Post. Police arrested him at an
aborted November 1997 political rally in Kabwe photographing police ill-treating
opposition party members.
In East Africa the picture is grim too. Kenyan human rights organizations
have experienced fire-bombing of offices, death threats, arbitrary arrests
of their members on false charges, torture, constant intimidation and harassment.
The conference is due to conclude on Wednesday with the adoption of
a "Johannesburg Declaration" to protect and promote the work
of African human rights defenders, which will be presented to the first
world summit of human rights defenders in Paris this December.
This declaration is expected to include regional level plans to keep
in touch and safeguard defenders at risk; and international level plans
to lobby bodies such as the Organization of African Unity (OAU).
In particular, the conference is likely to end with a call on the OAU
to show its commitment to improving Africa's human rights record by itself
adopting a declaration similar to the UN Draft Declaration on Human Rights
Defenders which is expected to be approved by the UN General Assembly this
December.
News Service: 217/98
4 NOVEMBER 1998
JOHANNESBURG DECLARATION
We, Human rights defenders, that is, women and men on the front line
of the struggle to protect and promote human rights and who include, lawyers,
journalists, NGO workers, trade unionists, members of rural organisations,
health workers, religious workers, development workers, students and relatives
of victims, etc
Gathered at the All-Africa Human Rights Defenders Conference, Johannesburg,
South Africa, from 2 to 4 November 1998
Recalling the regional and international standards already in existence
for the protection and promotion of human rights in particular the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, which on 10 December 1998 celebrates its 50th
anniversary, and the draft Declaration for the Protection of Human Rights
Defenders that guarantee fundamental rights and freedoms.
Observing the failure of most states and governments in Africa either
to live up to the domestic and international obligations to which they
have committed themselves in the protection and promotion of human rights,
or to ratify and accede to relevant international human rights standards,
and the failure of governments and armed groups involved in conflicts in
Africa to adhere to international humanitarian law;
Acknowledging that Human Rights Defenders have as a result assumed a
central role in the promotion and protection of each and every one of the
human rights;
Observing moreover the particular risks run by human rights defenders
in the context of armed conflict;
Deeply concerned that the increasing number and influence of human rights
defenders has been accompanied by their own rights being violated;
Denouncing in particular the violations of human rights they face, including:
extrajudicial execution, torture, rape and sexual assault, arbitrary arrest
and detention, and unfair trials;
Denouncing moreover the extent of measures used by many states to silence
human rights defenders, including censorship and seizure of publications,
constant surveillance and intimidation, economic and professional harassment,
bureaucratic obstacles to legalisation of their activities, denial of freedom
of assembly and social ostracisation
[word missing] Declaration on the right and responsibility of individuals,
groups and organs of society to promote and protect universally recognised
human rights and fundamental freedoms, due to be voted by the United Nations
General Assembly on 10 December 1998
Affirm the right to continue such work in accordance with the international
human rights standards
Considering all threats on human rights defenders as an attack on the
work of human rights NGOs everywhere, the participants decide to organise
themselves into networks to respond immediately, with all means at their
disposition, to these fundamental violations of human rights
Undertake to train Africans, in particularly human rights defenders,
to make best use of national, international and regional mechanisms established
for the protection of human rights
Call upon all States to respect and ensure the respect of the right
to freedom of action for human rights defenders
Urge all States to bring national legislation into accordance with international
human rights standards and to ensure the independence of the judiciary
and other mechanisms for the defence of human rights
Urge all States to adopt special measures to ensure the protection of
women human rights defenders including the implementation of the Beijing
Plan of Action
And call upon all States to facilitate the granting of asylum to human
rights defenders at imminent risk of human rights violations
Moreover call upon the intergovernmental, international and regional
organisations to intervene on behalf of human rights defenders and campaign
to guarantee their safety
Urge that the United Nations and all its agencies give priority to consultations
with human rights defenders in their work
Urge the United Nations Commission of Human Rights to establish the
post of Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Defenders and to ensure that
the work of human rights defenders is included in the mandate of all United
Nations mechanisms
Demand moreover that all bi-lateral and multi-lateral organs and authorities
of economic cooperation ensure in their program the protection of human
rights defenders
Demand finally that multinational companies ensure that their strategies
and projects are not harmful to the freedom of action of human rights defenders
And call upon international public opinion, in particular the media,
to join in the protection of human rights defenders and promoting their
activities in defence of human rights for all.
This material is being reposted for wider distribution by the Africa
Policy Information Center (APIC). APIC's primary objective is to widen
the policy debate in the United States around African issues and the U.S.
role in Africa, by concentrating on providing accessible policy-relevant
information and analysis usable by a wide range of groups and individuals.
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