“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” (Desmond Tutu)
We, the undersigned African human rights organisations, strongly condemn the most recent developments restricting the work of civil society organisations in Palestine and executing activists in Myanmar. Under the cloak of counter-terrorism laws, human rights organisations and democracy activists have become the target of an attempt to silence the civic space and its fight for human rights.
The raid of the offices of six Palestinian human rights groups by Israeli security forces on 18 August 2022 and their illegitimate declaration as terrorist groups by Israel constitutes a new low in the state’s attempt to undermine civil society organisations operating in Palestine. In Myanmar, the executions of two democracy activists illustrate the utter disregard for human rights by the military junta. Both democracy activists were sentenced to death based on counter-terrorism laws and executed at the end of July 2022. Since the coup in Myanmar from 1 February 2021, the oppressive military regime has arrested 14,500 people and killed more than 2,000 people. The trend of undermining and suppressing those who stand up against human rights violations by an oppressive regime is appalling and unfathomable.
As African civil society organisations, we are deeply concerned by these profoundly alarming attacks on civil society. This climate of fear breeds repression and calls for swift action on a bilateral and multilateral level. As many of the undersigned organisations understand and comprehend the daily risks and threats that our colleagues in Myanmar and Palestine face, we stand united with the people and organisations in Palestine and Myanmar.
We call on the international community, the United Nations, and the African Union to apply all possible means under international law to end the tyranny of oppressors in Palestine and Myanmar. Those responsible for breaches of human rights and international law must be held to account. The abuse of counter-terrorism laws to restrict civic space must stop. The work of activists, human rights defenders and civil society organisations in Palestine and Myanmar is indispensable to provide a bare minimum of protection. We further call on the international community for targeted and determined action to restore the protection of the civic space. In times of chaos and tyranny, a functioning civil society’s innate sense of protecting those in need has become a beacon of justice, accountability and humanity.
African Human Rights Organisations
- Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) – South Africa
- Educating Girls and Young Women for Development (EGYD) – Zambia
- Sinatsisa Lubombo Women Empowerment NGO – Eswatini
- Forum Mulher – Mozambique
- Zambia Deaf Youth and Women – Zambia
- Coordinating Assembly of Non-Governmental Organisations (CANGO) – Eswatini
- Botswana Trans Initiative – Botswana
- Centre for Human Rights Education Advice and Assistance (CHREAA) – Malawi
- Young Feminists Movement Namibia (Y-Fem) – Namibia
- Banana Club – Botswana
- Voice of Hope Trust (VHT) – Namibia
- Human Rights institute of South Africa (HURISA) _ South Africa
- Centre for Conflict Management and Women Development Affairs (CECOWDA) – Malawi
- CBOs Coalition for Human Rights and Good Governance – Malawi
- Centre for Women Human Rights Defenders in Africa – Reginal
- Disability Rights Watch (DRW) – Zambia
- The Centre for Human Rights & Social Advancement (CEFSAN) – Nigeria
- Savie asbl NGO PGEL LGBTIQ – The Democratic Republic of Congo
- Legal Resources Foundation – Zambia
- The Rock of Hope Eswatini (ROH) – Eswatini
- Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria – South Africa
- Southern Africa Women Human Rights Defenders Network (SAWHRDN) – Regional
- Swaziland Domestic Workers Union (SDWU) – Eswatini
- Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) – Zimbabwe
- Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS(BONELA) – Botswana
- Mwatumwaya Rehabilitation Centre – Botswana
- Centre for Human Rights & Social Advancement (CEFSAN) – Nigeria
- Youth Advocates for Change (YAC) – Zambia
- African Humanitarian Law Initiative (AIHLI Legacy) – Regional
- The People’s Matrix (MATRIX) – Lesotho
- Queer Worx – Lesotho
- Intersex Community of Zimbabwe (ICoZ) – Zimbabwe
- Disabled Women in Africa (DIWA) – Regional
- Centre for Community Empowerment and Development – Malawi
- Seinoli Legal Centre – Lesotho
- Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) – Zimbabwe
- Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities – Eswatini
- TransSwati – Eswatini
- Disability, HIV and AIDS Trust (DHAT) – Zimbabwe
- Rural Empowerment Fora (REF) – Zambia
- Zambia Disability HIV/AIDS Human Rights Programme (ZAMDHARP)- Zambia
- Transformation Resource Centre (TRC) – Lesotho
- Sexual Rights Centre – Zimbabwe
- Tanzania Trans Initiative (TTI) – Tanzania
- Transbantu Association Zambia (TBZ) – Zambia
- Community of Women Living with HIV – Lesotho
- Trans Research Education Advocacy and Training (TREAT ) – Zimbabwe
- Art and Global Health Center Africa (ArtGlo) – Malawi)
- Namibia Diverse Women’s Association (NDWA) – Namibia
- Nyasa Rainbow Alliance (NRA) – Malawi
- Black Queer DocX – Botswana
- Eswatini Network of Young Positives – Eswatini
- Eswatini Youth Inspires – Eswatini
- Gender Dynamix – South Africa
- Iranti – South Africa
- Nassawiyat – Morocco
- Pan Africa ILGA – Regional
- Barali Foundation – Lesotho
- Reformar – Mozambique
- Desk for Social Development of the ELCRN (DfSD-ELCRN)
- Arquivo de Identidade Angolano (AIA) – Angola
- Tanzania Community Empowerment Foundation (TACEF)
- Women’s Alliance for Equality Limited – Zambia
- Springs of Life – Zimbabwe
- Success Development Trust of Zimbabwe (SDTZ)
- Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF) – Uganda
- Legal Resources Centre (LRC) – South Africa
- Female Sex Workers Association (FSWA) – Malawi
- Women With Dignity (WWD) – Tanzania
- Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU) – Tanzania
- ADAT Foundation – Kenya
- Kenya Legal & Ethical Issues Network on HIV and AIDS (KELIN) – Kenya
- Alpha and Omega – Kenya
- HealthPlus 4 Men (HP4M) – Eswatini
- African Legal Information Institute – South Africa
- Community Youth Development Trust – Zimbabwe
- Kuria East Youth Empowerment Group – Kenya
- Sesotho Media & Development – Lesotho
- CIVICUS – South Africa
- Coalition Action For Preventive Mental Health (CAPMHK) – Kenya
- African Young Positives Network (AY+) – Regional
- Setabane Online Magazine – Botswana
- Lawyers Alert – Nigeria
- Manna Development Agency (MADA) – South Sudan
- Uganda Stop TB Partnership (USTP) – Uganda
- The Global Interfaith Network for People of All Sexes, Sexual Orientations, Gender Identities and Expressions – Regional
- Youth Watch Society (YOWSO) – Malawi
- Abammeli Bamalungelo Abantu – Zimbabwe
- Chapter One Foundation – Zambia
- Les Mêmes Droits pour Tous – Guinea
- Council of Churches – Namibia
- SADC Lawyers’ Association – Regional
- Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA) – Nigeria
- Poverty Reduction Network (PORENET) – Mozambique
- Hope Africa – Zimbabwe
- Kenya Association of the Intellectually Handicapped (KAIH) – Kenya
- Africa Human Rights Film Festival
- Human Rights Commission – Sierra Leone
- Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association – Zimbabwe
- Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) – South Africa
- Southern African Christian Initiative (SACHI) – Namibia
- Ndifuna Ukwazi- South Africa
- Dullah Omar Institute, University of the Western Cape – South Africa
- Associação KUTAKESA – Angola
- Prisoner Reintegration and Empowerment Organization (PREO) – Zambia
- Organisation for Promoting Human Rights -Tanzania
- Outreach Scout Foundation -Malawi
- Religious Youth Affairs for Peace and Dialogue – Malawi
- Female Commission – Malawi
- Queer Women’s Network QWN – Swaziland
- Black Sash – South Africa
- IVY foundation – Malawi
- The Public Legal Education Organization (PLEO) – Tanzania
- Coalition for an Effective African Court on Human & Peoples’ Rights – Tanzania
- Abammeli Bamalungelo Human Rights Lawyers Network – Zimbabwe
- Men for Health and Gender Justice Organisation – Botswana
- Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) – Zimbabwe
- Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) – Malawi
- Tanzania Voice of Humanity – Tanzania
- Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) – Lesotho
- Digital Society of Africa (DSA) – Zimbabwe
- Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana (LEGABIBO) – Botswana
- Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP) – Nigeria
- Nigerian Coalition on the International Criminal Court (NCICC) – Nigeria
- Safe Place International (TDA) – Botswana
- Democratic Governance and Rights Unit (DGRU) – South Africa
- Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) – South Africa
- Legal and Human Rights Centre – Tanzania
