Reports on human rights situations in African countries were flooding at the Accra International Conference Centre, where state delegates and human rights NGOs and institutions appeared before the Commissioners of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Shortly before the commencement of the session, the commissioners went into a close-door meeting to cross-fertilise ideas and adopt the agenda for the 41st Ordinary Session. Then the public session take a centre-stage, where revelations into human rights situation in African countries have been immense.

African countries, including Sudan, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Mauritania, Nigeria, The Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Angola, Egypt, Kenya, Libya, Cote d’Ivoire, Lesotho, Burundi, Djibouti, Zambia and Central African Republic, have so far presented their human rights reports, barely five days into the proceedings of the session. It was the first time for Kenya and Zambia to present their reports to the commission since it started operations.

The countries’ reports reflect on the achievements, processes and challenges of the respective countries towards the implementation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, other human rights conventions and instruments; and ensuring the rule of law, dignity and respect for the rights of their peoples.

About 50 African and international human rights organisations, including Mozambique League of Human Rights, Association for the Prevention of Torture, World Organisation Against Torture, Tunisian Association of Child Rights, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, Equality Now, Human Rights Institute of North Africa, International Commission of Jurists, Centre for Reproductive Health Rights, and East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders, and Civil Liberty Organisation, also presented the reports to the commission.
The non-state reports focused on torture at detention cell and the brutality of the security, extra-judiciary killings, unemployment, arbitrary and illegal arrest, and conditions of indigenous peoples, forceful eviction, and exploitation of Africa’s resources, freedom of expression, appalling conditions of detention cells, discrimination and xenophobia, illegal migration, among others.

Human rights situation in Darfur, Ethiopia, Somalia, Central African Republic, Kenya, and Zimbabwe dominated most of the reports of the NGOs.
State delegates to the session were given the right to reply to alleged human rights deficiencies, coupled with questioning by members of the African Commission, in line with Article 51 and 52 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. However, state delegates who opt for written reply are allowed to do so by the commission.
The proceedings continued yesterday with Zimbabwe being invited to appear in a private session by the commission.