A coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) has welcomed a resolution of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights calling for guidelines aimed at ending enforced disappearances in Africa.
The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies, Lawyers for Justice in Libya (LFJL), MENA Rights Group, REDRESS and Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) welcomed the move.
Development Diaries understands that since the 1980s, the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances has received over 5,000 complaints of disappearances taking place in Africa.
Enforced disappearances involve the deprivation of liberty of a person against their will by state agents or those acting with the authorisation, support or acquiescence of the state, with no acknowledgement of the victim’s fate or whereabouts.
It is understood that only 17 out of 54 African countries had ratified the International Convention on the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
The NGOs said they had documented numerous incidents of disappearances and acts of torture in Africa.
‘Enforced disappearances have been committed with impunity for decades in Africa, and victims left forgotten, yet the African States are obliged to prevent and investigate this crime and to bring any perpetrators to justice’, Legal Advisor at REDRESS, Eva Nudd, said.
‘We welcome the efforts of the commission which will help to highlight the prevalence of this crime in the region, and the need to take firm steps within the African Union to eradicate it’.
Senior Programmes Officer at Lawyers for Justice in Libya (LFJL), Elise Flecher, said, ‘With many governments failing to meet their responsibilities to tackle this problem, this resolution is a welcome step in the right direction.
‘States across the region should not only support this initiative by working together to end this crime once and for all but should also demonstrate their commitment by ratifying the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance as a first step’.
Source: Kubatana
Photo source: SCM
