A coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) has urged African governments to end the practice of forced disappearances of citizens and prosecute perpetrators.
The NGOs made the call as the world marked the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance.
Zimbabwe is on the international spotlight following a spate of alleged abductions and torture of members of civic groups and opposition parties.
Many opposition leaders are understood to have gone into hiding after the arrest of journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume for allegedly instigating public violence.
Chin’ono was arrested after he published a report alleging corruption in the Zimbabwean government.
It is understood that scores of campaigners and protesters have been arrested in an expansive clampdown in the country.
‘Enforced disappearances have been under the radar in Africa for many decades, and victims left forgotten’, legal advisor of REDRESS, Eva Nudd, said.
‘The African states are obliged to prevent and investigate this crime, to bring any perpetrators to justice, search for victims who were subjected to this practice, and provide their loved ones with assistance and reparations. African states [cannot] hide any longer under a cloak of denial’.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) stated in a statement that it reaffirmed its solidarity for all victims and survivors of torture and their families.
‘Sadly, in 2020, Zimbabwe is marking United Nations International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances at a time when the country is recording abductions of human rights defenders with the latest case being that of Tawanda Muchehiwa, a university student and a resident of Bulawayo’, the statement read.
ZLHR also said, ‘Failure by government to hold perpetrators accountable, let alone acknowledge the outrageous practice of abductions and enforced disappearances places abductees outside the protection of the law and constitute a serious violation not only of domestic law but of international law too’.
Source: The Zimbabwe Daily
Photo source: SCM
