Three sub-Saharan African countries on the cusp of abolition must act now and abolish the death penalty once and for all, paving the way for others around the world to follow in their footsteps, said Amnesty International on World Day Against the Death Penalty (10 October).
Kenya and Zimbabwe currently have bills tabled to abolish the death penalty for all crimes, while Gambia, which has made steady progress against this cruel punishment since 2017, has commenced a constitutional amendment process that will, among other things, effectively abolish the death penalty. So far, 24 countries across sub-Saharan Africa have abolished the death penalty for all crimes while two additional countries have abolished it for ordinary crimes only.
"Although the sub-Saharan Africa region saw a surge in both recorded executions and recorded death sentences in 2023, Gambia, Kenya and Zimbabwe have the opportunity to buck that trend in the region," said Oluwatosin Popoola, Amnesty International's legal adviser on the death penalty.
"Countries that still retain the death penalty are an isolated minority as the world continues to decidedly move away from this cruel punishment. The more countries that abolish the death penalty for all crimes, the more isolated the remaining countries will become and the weaker their position on the death penalty will be. The majority of countries in the world have abolished the death penalty for all crimes. It's time for all countries to move away from this cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment once and for all."
Countries that still retain the death penalty are an isolated minority as the world continues to decidedly move away from this cruel punishment.Oluwatosin Popoola, Amnesty International's legal adviser on the death penalty
Hope for the region
Gambia, Kenya and Zimbabwe haven't carried out an execution in over a decade while each country has commuted multiple death sentences in the same period.
The last known execution in Kenya was recorded in 1987. Although the country does not have an official moratorium on executions, it has an established practice of not carrying them out. While the courts in Kenya continue to impose death sentences, the country continues to make good progress against the death penalty. In 2023, 606 commutations of death sentences were granted, while four bills to abolish the death penalty are currently pending in Parliament.
The last known execution in Zimbabwe was carried out in 2005 even if courts continue to impose death sentences. However, since President Emmerson Mnangagwa assumed office in November 2017, he has made his opposition to the death penalty clear.
"Zimbabwe's President himself was sentenced to death for 'terrorism' as a young man due to his involvement in Zimbabwe's liberation struggle. He narrowly avoided execution as he was below the age of 21 at the time and was sentenced to 10 years in prison instead. The President knows what it's like to be facing the death penalty and he now has the opportunity to ensure no one else goes through that," said Oluwatosin Popoola.
In December 2023, the Death Penalty Abolition Bill was published in the official gazette in Zimbabwe and the government cabinet announced its support for it in February 2024. The Bill is currently pending before parliament.
The last execution in Gambia was carried out in 2012, when nine soldiers were executed by firing squad. However, since President Adama Barrow assumed office in January 2017, Gambia has been making remarkable strides against the death penalty with the country establishing an official moratorium on executions, becoming a party to an international treaty aiming at the abolition of the death penalty, and regularly commuting death sentences.
Moving forward
In 2023, Amnesty International recorded 1,153 executions, an increase of 31% (270) from the 883 known executions in 2022. This year has continued a worrying trend with an alarming surge in executions in Iran and Saudi Arabia, a decision in Democratic Republic of Congo to resume executions, and Taiwan's Supreme Court failing to abolish the death penalty. Yet countries in sub-Saharan Africa offer a glimmer of hope in the way towards the global abolition of the death penalty. So far, 113 countries around the world have abolished the death penalty for all crimes.
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"Countries that still retain the death penalty in their laws often resort to the death penalty believing the punishment can make their people and communities safer. However, that is a misconception. The death penalty does not have a unique deterrent effect, and it violates the right to life as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The small minority of countries that insist on using this punishment must move with the times and abolish the death penalty once and for all," said Oluwatosin Popoola.
Background information
In 2023, Amnesty International documented a sharp increase in the use of the death penalty across sub-Saharan African. Recorded executions more than tripled and recorded death sentences increased significantly by 66%. Somalia was the only country in the region known to have carried out executions. Death sentences were recorded in 14 countries, a decrease of 2 compared to 2022. Four countries took positive legislative steps towards the abolition of the death penalty. For more information, please see Death Sentences and Executions 2023.
