TRES/002/4/16 – RESOLUTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN AFRICA
TRES/002/4/16 – RESOLUTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN AFRICA
We, the participants of the Forum on the Participation of NGOs in the 58th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights from 3rd-5th April, 2016 at the Paradise Suites Hotel in Senegambia, The Islamic Republic of The Gambia;
Recalling the African Commission Resolution ACHPR/Res.69 (XXXV) 04 on the protection of human rights defenders (HRDs) in Africa and its Resolutions ACHPR/Res. 119 (XXXXII) 07 and ACPHR/Res. 196 (L) 11 on the situation of human rights defenders in Africa;
Further recalling the African Commission Resolution ACHPR/Res. 273 (LV) on Extending the Scope of the Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders in Africa; and Resolution on the Role of Lawyers and Judges in the Integration of the Charter and the Enhancement of the Commission’s work in National and sub-Regional Systems;
Noting the March 2016 vote at the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council, to adopt the Resolution on HRDs and their work on Economic, Social and Cultural rights, including by a number of African states;
Deeply concerned with the enforced disappearance of Itai Dzamara in Zimbabwe and the continued lack of information regarding his whereabouts;
Concerned about the arrests and attacks against HRDs addressing human rights in the context of land and environmental issues, including the on-going violent crackdown on thousands of peaceful protestors in Oromia region of Ethiopia leading to at least 150 deaths and thousands of arbitrary arrests; and the arrest of three HRDs working on forced evictions in Sierra Leone;
Concerned with attacks against journalists in Uganda and Sudan;
Further concerned about harassment, intimidation and use of malicious prosecutions against lawyers defending the rights of their clients in Lesotho, including the charges against Advocate Nthonto;
The NGO Forum calls upon the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to:
- call on the government of Zimbabwe to immediately carry out an investigation into the disappearance of Itai Dzamara with a view to establishing those responsible for his disappearance and his whereabouts, make information related to this investigation publicly available and hold all persons responsible for his enforced disappearance accountable in a court of law;
- call on the Government of Ethiopia to cease the brutal crackdown on defenders protecting land rights in Ethiopia and human rights defenders in general, and to launch an independent investigation into the deaths and arrests of protestors since November 2015;
- call on all the Government of Lesotho to protect the rights of lawyers defending the detained soldiers
- call on all States to ensure lawyers and journalists are recognised as HRDs, that they are not persecuted or threatened as a result of discharging their functions and that lawyers are not identified with their clients or their clients’ causes as a result of discharging their functions;
- call on all States to ensure they respect, protect and promote the rights and lives of persons addressing human rights in the context of land and environmental issues, particularly against business working on extractive industries.
Done in Banjul, Islamic Republic of The Gambia – 5th April 2016
