06 May Eritrea: maintain Human Rights Council scrutiny and engagement

AfricanDefenders and partners called on the UN Human Rights Council to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Eritrea in a letter released on 5th May 2020. Ahead of the 44th session of the Coun­cil (scheduled to begin in June 2020), the signatories urged...

05 May NEWS FROM AfricanDefenders | March & April 2020

*Covid-19 update: As the COVID-19 pandemic has spread globally and extraordinary measures are being enacted to respond to this threat, DefendDefenders and AfricanDefenders had to be responsive to protect staff, partners, beneficiaries, and to play a positive role in this emergency. On 20 March 2020, DefendDefenders and AfricanDefenders started implementing a preventive social distancing plan. Staff was required to work remotely, and all visitors to the office have been temporarily banned, all in-person meetings have been cancelled, and all activities that require in-person contact postponed. At the end of March, a growing number of restrictions were imposed in Uganda, with a total lockdown for two weeks announced on 31 March 2020 which was further extended to 6 May 2020.

Highlights

Open letter on the Xenophobic, racist and inhumane treatment of Africans in China

After reports of African nationals facing xenophobic and racist treatment in China in the context of COVID-19 measures, AfricanDefenders initiated the process of writing a letter to H.E Moussa Faki, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. The letter urged the commission and African leaders to demand a full investigation by Chinese authorities into the human rights violations against Africans living in China and called for immediate remedial action. The letter was endorsed by over 300 civil society organisations (CSOs), women organisations and feminist movements, labour and students’ movements, youth organisations, and professional associations. It was also endorsed by over 1700 individuals within and outside Africa including lawyers, judges, scholars, businesspeople, clergy, artists, activists and journalists. The letter also featured in local news media like the Maverick Citizen from South Africa and PML daily from Uganda.

Read the full letter here›

29 Apr World Press Freedom Day 2020: COVID-19 should not infect Africa’s press freedom

As the COVID-19 virus spreads around the globe, it seems to be accompanied by another infectious ill: restricted press freedom. In fact, restricted press freedom may have contributed to COVID-19 resulting in a pandemic in the first place. Authorities in China, Europe, and the US withheld information that could have prevented such a drastic...

23 Apr Safety, Security, & Well-being During COVID-19

SAFETY & SECURITY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS DURING COVID-19. The coronavirus pandemic has become a global crisis, forcing most states to close their borders and limit in-country movement to curb the spread of the virus. This has led to organisations closing offices and working remotely from...

14 Apr Open letter on the Xenophobic, racist and inhuman treatment of Africans in China

Together with our member networks, more than 300 African civil society organisations (CSOs), and African citizens, we sent an open letter to the African Union Commission Chairperson, H.E Moussa Faki. In the letter, we call on the African Union and African leaders to demand a...

27 Mar COVID-19 updates: DefendDefenders and AfricanDefenders continue to Respond to Emergency Protection Needs of Human Rights Defenders

Dear friends, partners, and human rights defenders, As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads globally and extraordinary measures are being enacted to respond to this threat, DefendDefenders and AfricanDefenders must also be responsive to protect our staff, partners, beneficiaries, and to play a positive role in this emergency. Safety...