Photo: Amnesty International Cape Town — Spurred by popular uprisings in North Africa, pressure to respect the human rights of all Africans is growing across the continent, but political leaders are standing in the way, says the internationally-respected lobby group, Amnesty International.
In its annual report, released on Thursday, Amnesty says protection of human rights in sub-Saharan Africa will probably not develop as "quickly and dramatically" as in North Africa, and in some places "the situation might even get worse".
"However, factors such as sustained economic growth, demands for better governance, an emerging middle class, stronger civil society and improved access to information and communication technology will gradually contribute to a better human rights situation.
"The question," Amnesty adds, "is whether Africa's political leadership will embrace these changes or see them as a threat to their hold on power. In 2011, most political leaders - in their reactions to protests and dissent - were part of the problem, not the solution."
The organisation's 2012 report, "The State of the World's Human Rights", assesses human rights conditions in 155 countries around the world during 2011.
In its chapter on sub-saharan Africa, the report says the North African uprisings resonated with people on the rest of the continent, especially in countries with repressive governments.
"Trade unionists, students and opposition politicians were inspired to organize demonstrations. People took to the streets because of their political aspirations, the quest for more freedom, and a deep frustration with a life in poverty," the report said. "They protested against their desperate social and economic situation and the rise in living costs... [But] the brutal suppression of demonstrations during 2011 illustrated how the region's political leaders learned little from what happened to their peers in the north."
Amnesty selected events in Sudan, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Swaziland for special mention.
- "Anti-government protesters took to the streets in Khartoum and other towns across Sudan, from the end of January onward. They were beaten by security forces, and dozens of activists and students were arbitrarily arrested and detained. Many were reportedly tortured in detention."
- "In Uganda, opposition politicians called on people to imitate the Egyptian protests and take to the streets, but violence marred the demonstrations. In February, the Ugandan government banned all public protests. The police and army used excessive force against protesters, and opposition leader Kizza Besigye was harassed and arrested."
- "In Zimbabwe, a group of about 45 activists were arrested in February, merely for discussing events in North Africa. Six of them were initially charged with treason."
- "In April, the Swaziland authorities repressed similar protests with excessive force."
The report added that security forces used live ammunition against protesters in Angola, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and South Sudan. "The authorities usually failed to investigate the excessive use of force and nobody was held to account for the deaths caused."
The Amnesty report did not limit its criticism of political leaders to Africa. In a news release issued with the report, Amnesty's secretary-general, Salil Shetty, said the failures of world leadership made the United Nations Security Council seem "tired" and "unfit" for its purpose.
"Failed leadership has gone global... with politicians responding to protests with brutality or indifference. Governments must show legitimate leadership and reject injustice by protecting the powerless and restraining the powerful."
Support for protest movements from global and regional powers has not been backed by action: "It has all too often become clear that opportunistic alliances and financial interests have trumped human rights as global powers jockey for influence in the Middle East and North Africa."
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The outcome of education has these five results: Poor, Fair, Good, Very Good and Excellent. The Arab Spring lecture was Excellent but region's political leaders opted for the Poor outcome – Suppression, suppression and suppression to avoid ‘what happened to their peers in the north’. Are we asking the same Governments that suppress its people to ‘show legitimate leadership and reject injustice by protecting the powerless and restraining the powerful?’ Unless we are accepting two parallel governments and, obviously, inclined to the one that ‘protects the powerless and restrains the powerful’, as it happened in Libya and Cote d’Ivoire or now happening in Syria. Hardly to understand that these countries Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mauritania, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone are Member States that adopted the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance are the ones that made usage of ‘live ammunitions’. Agreeing with the report, most of the political leaders are ‘part of the problem, not the solution’. So, the UN and AU should clearly express its position with these leaders: Dictatorship and Tyranny or Democracy and Good Governance
The 99% protestors were beaten by police in the USA; who forcibly removed them,using 'excessive force' under cloak of darkness, several were hospitalized,more arrested for exercizing their 'democratic' right to protest! Amnesty International failed to Report on this.They failed to 'Report'European doctors genocide, (wiping out of entire tribes) of indigenous native Brazilians with the 'measles vaccine!' They failed to 'Report' the USA in 1984 vis a vie the Bhopal Diaster, that wiped out thousands of Indian people, (certainly more that the Chinese Government killed in Tianaman Square) or ask whether American Leaders, (who demanded $1billion per person killed in the Lockerbie bombing and imposed sanctions on a entire Country until they got it) are not obstructing 'Justice.'Where's the 'Report' on the tens of thousands murdered in Iraq by the West over the non-existent WMD. Nor do they Report on UN 'Aid Workers', NGO's and 'peace-keeping troops who rape African women and children and demand rape for food.Are the victims Human Rights not being violated because these are 'Above the law' and 'cannot be prosecuted.' The World Bank decisions, forced on Africa that led to thousands of deaths because they got the economics wrong. Why isn't Amnesty 'Reporting' those deaths as Human Rights violations - "The Right to life." They exclude 'Corrupt Judges' in European courts etc etc. Amnesty is only 'interested' in Human Rights Abuses in Un-industrialised Countries, Communist Countries and former Communist Countries. Amnesty International does not give a dam about 'Individual Human Rights' just what 'capital' it can purchase for Western powers to lecture, interfere and meddle on the African Continent. There are abuses of Human Rights in Africa, and the AU should create its own Human Rights Organizations to report on and investigate these; it should go further, and put in place mechanisms that provide a 'Jurisdiction' that enables the Organization to Provide Shelter, Arrange Legal Representation, Safe Passage. Asylum in a 'Safe African or Third Country,' and Travel Documents.'Then it should go one better, (and unlike the West, who do not want their Human Rights and Civil Liberties organizations and groups reporting on them) allow all complaints to be recorded, if not in the Country where the Violation has occurred, then in another African Country; because until and unless we are honest about the scale of the abuse of Human Rights, we cannot hope to formulate policies and strategies to eliminate this scurge from the Continent. Africans have suffered more than their counterparts in the West. Africa should recognize this, by delivering a African Creed of Human Rights and Civil Liberties:
Article 1 Freedom from Slavery Article 2 The Right to a Free Birth-Certificate Article 3 The Right to live Article 4 The Right to Shelter Article 5 Freedom of Speech Article 6 The Right to Legal Representation Article 7 Freedom of Belief That reflects this. Amnesty International has done the West no favors; as they say, "Publicity about Human Rights Violations is a disincentive for the Violators..." Expect no change or reform from the West whilst Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch etc continue persuading them that there 'Report' is nothing short of exemplary.