The West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network launched its report on the state of human rights defenders in the sub-region to inform policy decisions, interventions, and activism on International Democracy Day. The Gender Center for Empowering Development (GenCED) prepared the report, titled, “The Situation of Human Rights Defenders in West Africa” with funding from WADEMOS’ DEMOS Fund.
The report gives an insight into the work and challenges of human rights defenders within the prevailing context in West Africa and also explores the opportunities and makes actionable recommendations to improve human rights and the plight of human rights defenders across West Africa.
The report was launched by Clement Voule, Former UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Association and Peaceful Assembly and a member of the Pan African Defenders Network.
Human rights violations have become recurrent issues in the sub-region in recent times, with many activists and human rights defenders facing threats to their lives or unlawful detentions. In some countries, the rights to free expression, protests, and media freedoms have been stifled.
Despite some gains achieved in reversing the tides, human rights defenders face considerable challenges amid incessant intimidation and repression of civic actors and rights defenders across West Africa. There have been reports of such rights violations in Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, and the transition countries.
Read the full report:
