#Rights365: How Should We Address Human Rights Issue In Africa?

Today, the world observes the International Human Rights Day.

The Human Rights Day as declared by the United Nations (UN) on 10 December, 1948 is meant to commemorate the UN General Assembly’s adoption and proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) which enshrines the global rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled.

In all, there are 30 basic human rights which are considered as moral principles or norm that describe certain standards of human behaviour. These rights include the right to life and security of persons, abolition of slavery and slave trade in all forms,   fair treatment by fair courts, right to fair trial, right to privacy,  freedom of movement,  freedom of thought and expression, right to social security and the right to play.

To mark this year’s celebration, the United Nations has encouraged every person to make Human Rights a round-the-clock activity. With the theme, Human Rights 365 (#Rights365), people all over the world are enjoined to consider everyday a Human Rights Day and ensure everyone is entitled to the full range of human rights. It also connotes that human rights belong equally to each of us and bind us together as a global community with the same ideals and values.

Coincidentally, this year’s celebration marks the end of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children, an official line that offers everyone the opportunity to show their non-tolerance to violence against women and children. However, like most developing nations, African nations are yet to entirely uphold the terms of the Universal human rights.

African governments habitually use laws to silence critical voices of journalists, activists or lawyers to deprive the public of information about the misconduct of officials, hereby violating the fundamental rule of human rights on the basis of freedom of expression. Issues of child labor, sexual violence, insecurity and sit-tight governments are still prevalent in many African countries, evidence that African countries are yet to fully implement the tenets of the universal human rights declaration. The recent sentencing of 188 supporters of ousted 

President Mohammed Morsi to death without a fair trial is another reason more attention should be paid to issues concerning human rights in Africa.

The death sentence of the suspected brotherhood member is not surprising as many African countries are yet to support the African Court for Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) ­– the only judicial arm of the African Union (AU) that allows individuals and NGOs to bring human rights related cases directly to the Court to be tried fairly without impunity. Only seven countries – Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Rwanda and host United Republic of Tanzania have pledged their allegiance to this court. Nevertheless, a number of African countries are working towards ensuring that the rights of their citizens are fully implemented.

In Namibia for example, a five year human rights plan was launched to entrench the principles of human rights effectively. ‘Our people today feel discriminated because they don’t own lands. Today the children of those who colonised us and took away the land sit on the land and are reluctant to give land… As we talk about human rights let us also talk about land’, Namibian president, Hifikepunye Pohamba, said at the launch of the country’s human rights action plan.

In war-infested Somalia, the Secretary-General of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), Mohamed Ibrahim calls for the need to end violation. According to him, journalists receive threats to life or are assassinated, compromising the ability of journalists to report freely on what is happening on the ground without fear of reprisal.

In Nigeria also, the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI), have also called for the end of modern day slavery. According to the association’s National President, Comrade Sunday Salako, ‘There is an urgent need to address the scourge of modern day slavery through new binding international regulations that restore worker protection in Nigeria’.

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) also said that they want the government to take urgent measures to ensure that people access adequate and clean water.

All these requests and much more that will be pouring out today emphasized the need to ensure that governments and individuals respect the rights of every person. This year’s Human rights Day therefore calls for everyone to express their unified opposition against human rights abuse and work towards the effective implementation of the declaration in the life of every person. Violation Africa director at Human Rights Watch, Daniel Bekele has said, ‘This is a critical moment for international policy makers to say loudly and clearly that those who kill, torture and rape will one day face a court of law. The time of impunity is over’.

Africans need to make stronger commitments to human rights issues if the continent is to make further economic and democratic advances. Clamping down press and sit-tight leaders syndrome must be abolished. The judicial system must also be strengthened to make the court a successful human rights protection mechanism that can ensure and establish the fundamental human rights of any person irrespective of their age, race or social status.

Most importantly, implementation of Human Rights must be every day, a 365 days affair.