Africa Human Rights
Prosperity To African Humans / Finally – Human Rights in Africa!
Africa Human Rights
Human Rights in Africa are relatively new to the continent. In the past, women and children were discriminated against as well as discrimination against race, sexual orientation, religion, disability, and the list grows. Many organizations, including African Court on Human and People’s Rights, African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, are trying their best to help the people of Africa have basic human rights. These two particular organizations are working with the government in making changes in various countries within Africa. However, several countries are still resistant to any changes.
Progress has been very slow but in some areas is getting better. In many of the democratic countries within Africa, people are able to exercise their civil rights by voting which ultimately leads to human rights awareness with outside organizations support. Education of people as to what basic human rights they are entitled to by the organizations is helping to make changes and progress even if it is slow. The Centre for Human Rights was established mainly for the purpose of helping the African citizens overcome Apartheid issues. The African Court on Human and People’s Rights was designed to help citizens who have been unfairly discriminated against by providing a fair court of law through the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (also known as Banjul Commission). The African Commission is responsible for promoting and protecting the basic human rights of the people of Africa. These and other organizations working together are making some differences in human rights in Africa.
Laws have little effect in Africa. In Burundi in March 2013, the Police Commissioner in northern Burundi ordered police to shoot at the participants of a religious group to disperse the crowd. Nine people were shot to death. The Commissioner was arrested but released from custody. After waiting for over four months for the courts to do something, the surviving participants are still awaiting justice. In Mali, children as young as six years of age are working in toxic conditions in the gold mines. In 2012, 86% of the wealthiest people were white South Africans while the percentage of the poorest people was black South Africans. This has changed very little in the last 20 years or more because Apartheid is still dominate in South Africa.
There are obviously critical discriminations against the majority of people in Africa depending upon their race, religion, sex, disability, etc. Violations of human rights are almost never brought to justice. The governments tend to be overwrought with corruption, unorganized, or extremely weak at enforcing laws. Court systems are corrupt making prosecution difficult. Violators are often government officials, police officers, or other authorities.
African human rights are still a dire need of education, enforcement, and follow-through by all organizations and people in the continent. Human rights organizations are trying their best to promote basic rights of the people while being harassed by government officials and law enforcement officers. The organizations will continue to educate, promote, and support the people to assure them of their basic human rights.
