By Arret Jatta
The West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS), recently, presented its situation reports for Human Rights Defenders carried out in ten African countries, during a side event 81 Ordinary Session of the African Commission for Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center.
Dr. Michael Akagbor Senior Programs Officer, CDD & Human Rights Expert presented the findings and recommendations on the report on Human Rights Defenders (HRD).
He noted that there is growing recognition of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) as a critical population for promoting democracy and advancing social and political justice.
“Across the globe, HRDs play crucial roles in driving socio-economic and political change and ensuring the protection, respect, and fulfilment of the rights of others, sometimes at the peril of their own lives and families. Despite their importance to the democratic enterprise, HRDs have yet to live up to their full potential in certain parts of the world, especially in Africa,” he stated.
Mr Akagbor added that in their efforts to document, the situation of HRDs in West Africa, GenCED-West Africa, in collaboration with WADEMOS and African Defenders, conducted a study titled “The Situation of Human Rights Defenders in West Africa” in November 2023.
“Ten countries, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Burkina Faso, Togo, Guinea, Mali, and Senegal were purposely selected across the Anglophone, Francophone, and Lusophone language divide to allow for a more nuanced comparative analysis of the countries,” he said.
He also pointed out that the study was designed to identify and assess the challenges confronting HRDs in the region and to provide critical recommendations for reducing their vulnerability and risk from threats and harm.
The report highlighted that what most of these countries have in common is that human rights defenders are subjected to harassment and restrictions on their freedoms.
“There is also evidence of state capture of the media by political leaders in the control of news in countries like Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal where this is very much experienced by HRDs,” the report states.
The report recommended that the ACHPR ensure the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to make periodic visits to member States of ECOWAS to assess the situation of HRDs and issue periodic reports to draw attention to the problem of HRDs and where violations of rights of HDRs are found, to advocate redress.
“Lead in the development of an ECOWAS protocol for the protection of human rights defenders. National Human Rights Institutions should implement the Marrakech Declaration, which NHRIs committed to, to promote and protect the human rights of HRDs, especially female human rights defenders,” the report further recommended.
It also recommended strengthening collaboration between HRDs, law enforcement, and relevant stakeholders to enhance the safety of human rights defenders and to establish a reporting mechanism, or if one already exists, to create a separate section on issues related to human rights defenders.