62nd ORDINARY SESSION OF THE AFRICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS
(25 April to 9 May 2018, Nouakchott, Mauritania)
Statement on the Human Rights Situation in Africa
I am honoured to be here representing the International Humanist and Ethical Union, which has over 150 member organisations across the world; including a number on this continent: In Burundi, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
The preamble to the African Charter, “Takes into consideration the virtues of their historical tradition and the values of African civilization which should inspire and characterize their reflection on the concept of human and peoples’ rights.” Yet, across the continent we see such traditions and values being instrumentalised to undermine human rights. Commissioners, Ladies and Gentlemen: I want to make only one plea in this statement to you today: we must not let this happen; we must not let culture, tradition and religion be manipulated in order to undermine the human rights of anyone.
For, the reality is that harmful traditional practices & prejudices often grounded in superstition, myths & misogyny remain responsible for many human rights abuses across this continent.
Witchcraft related abuses, including child sacrifice, remain rife in a number of countries, leading to persecution, torture and sometimes murder .
Cruel and inhumane practices against women and girls, including early and forced marriage, female genital mutilation, widowhood rituals, and honour violence are another phenomena we see in many countries.
Religion, tradition and culture are weaponised to attack abortion and sexual and reproductive health and rights, despite maternal mortality being a leading cause of death among women of childbearing age in Africa.
Sensitivities and passions around religious beliefs have also been instrumentalised by those seeking to retain power and prevent people from exercising their human rights to free expression and freedom of religion or belief. You can be put to death for expressing atheism in three countries in Africa, and blasphemy is outlawed in many more. Let me take this moment to remind us all that the African Charter protects people; not ideas. Any laws that seek to protect ideas and outlaw criticism of religions threaten to undermine the precious underpinnings of the whole human rights framework.
Violence and persecution on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity are also defended by some on the grounds of maintaining the so-called tradition and culture of societies; I have heard African representatives on the floor of the UN claim that there are no LGBTI people in their country because it goes against their culture. Same-sex conduct remains criminalized in most countries and discrimination against LGBTI people widespread. In this country, Mauritania, men can by law be stoned to death for having same-sex relations.
If you ask any of our members what values are important to them, they do not site the cultural relativism that so many of their governments do, but instead will say human rights for all – without regard to culture, tradition, nationality, race or religion. They will say, dignity, freedom and equality, kindness and solidarity. We must not let governments, anti-choice actors or those seeking power and control to weaponise and manipulate culture, tradition or religion to undermine the human rights protected by the African Charter and Maputo Protocol, the rights that we all deserve.
We would like to put on record our thanks for the work of the Commission and for Mauritania hosting us; however, we find it deeply disturbing that some local NGOs and human rights defenders have not been allowed entry to the Palais de Congres to take part in this session. This includes Les Femmes Chefs de Famille who have been working for years on promoting human rights in Mauritania. We urge the Commission to take this up with the Mauritanian authorities with some urgency.