OWN CORRESPONDENT, Nairobi | Thursday
ALTHOUGH there are now government-sponsored human rights commissions in nearly half the countries in Africa, the basic rights of African citizens are not generally better protected, says Human Rights Watch.
In 1989 the only human rights commission was in Togo. Today there are 22, the New York-based group said in a report. But Human Rights Watch said many of the commissions “appear designed to deflect international criticism of human rights abuses, rather than to address the abuses themselves.”
Still, commissions in Ghana, South Africa and Uganda stood out as exceptions, it said, that have not been afraid to speak out strongly on government abuses.
“African governments are jumping on the human rights bandwagon, but they don’t seem truly interested in helping victims,” said Peter Takirambudde, executive director of the group’s Africa division.
“Many of these government humans rights commissions are weak. The UN and international funders must not give legitimacy to commissions that serve merely as window dressing.”
The 407-page report, “Protectors or Pretenders?” found that the most significant factor in the efficiency of the commissions is the courage and integrity of its members.
“Many commissioners fail to publicly denounce abuses, either from fear of retribution or out of hope of government favour,” the report said.
It cited commissions in Chad, Cameroon, Kenya, Liberia and Sudan as falling into this category. Algeria, Togo and Tunisia commission members tend to play down government abuse of human rights, it said.
Several are hamstrung by lack of funding, delays in appointing staff and legal-legislative problems.
“Millions of Africans are being displaced, tortured or killed,” said Binaifer Nowrojee, primary author of the report and counsel with the group’s Africa division. “Yet, the sad truth is that human rights commissioners in Africa often turn a blind eye to these abuses.”
It said commissions in Malawi and Senegal show promise, and that despite serious limitations placed on it by the government, the commission in Zambia “has increasingly showed itself to be serious.”