(JollofNews) – Members of Africa’s None-Governmental Organisations, civil society
groups and government officials gather on Wednesday in Banjul to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the African Commission on Humain and Peoples’Rights (ACHPR).
The celebrations are taking place in a context of a new political dispensation as the tiny West African nation is recovering from 22-year dictatorship by the Jammeh regime.
Gambia’s president Adama Barrow commended international and regional human rights organisations for spearheading the campaign to restore democracy in The Gambia.
“They have tiressly worked over the years to
ensure that the unfortunate situation of our people remain on the global and political agenda,” he said while addressing hundreds of delegates coming from various parts of Africa.
The continent’s human rights body has been championing the promotion and protection of human rights despite major challenges posed by numerous abuses committed on daily basis by member States. In three
decades of existence, ACHPR was able to put human rights at the centre stage of development agenda.
“The commitment to achieve human rights is steadily gaining ground throughout Africa,” he said.
The Gambian leader committed himself to ratify the convention against torture, and gave assurance that his government will establish a national human rights commission, which has been deliberately delayed by the former regime.
ACHPR outgoing chairperson Pansy Tlakula, who led the commission for 12 years, said they never met ex-president Yahya Jammeh during their tenure.
“In the 12 years I have been the Chair of the commission, this is the first time the Gambia is represented a the highest level,” she disclosed provoking waves of applause.
A part from President Barrow, Vice-President Fatoumata Tambajang and National Assembly Speaker Mariama Jack Denton graced the occasion with their presence.
Commissioner Tlakula, who was instrumental in promoting Freedom of expression in Africa, said their presence signifies their commitment to human rights.
Since the inaugural session that took place in Banjul in June 1989, she stated that the commission held more than forty-five sessions on Gambian soil.
Various human rights instruments were endorsed by a growing number of African States under her tenure.
Despite all these inspiring achievements, Pansy Tlakula cited the rise of terrorism, arbitrary arrests of human rights defenders, armed conflicts and the war in South Sudan as major challenges the continent is confronted with. She tasked newly appointed commissioners to address emerging issues that have to do with the independence of the judiciary and cyber security and data protection.
European Union (EU) Special Representative for human rights Stavros Lambrinidis said human rights is not a luxury, and not a footnote in policy. “It is a hardcore policy,” he stated.
European Union’s Lambrinidis said the concept of human rights is not from the West or from any other regions in the world. He then added that it is an universal concept that we all share.
The celebrations coincide with ACHPR 61st Ordinary Sesssion, which is being held in Banjul from Nov. 1-15 2017
The right to be human is a gift from God not man. You can’t eat fine sentiments. They are gold words on a tablet of stone. Charity begins in our own heart. To forgive our tresspasses as we must forgive others. Gambia needs the healing mist to prevail.
Scales, I don’t know what you want to communicate here. Can you be a bit precise?
And it is also a human right to express your opinion regarding
shortcomings of your society. Thus to forbid the demonstration against NAWEC is a slap in the face of every human rights activist. In a perfect Gambia the president would subscribe to the demands of the people because nobody can defend NAWEC as it is destroying our economy and our lives.
Kemo; The duplicity of the coalition is plain to see. On the one hand it suckers up to western freedom values, and on the other hand it denies gathering of peaceful protest. So one law for the money donors and no law for the people who they serve. However, we must not inflame this situation and call for unity and hope the coalition will serve the people justly or not at all. The coalition must not suppress freedom, and I hope in time they will come back to there senses and fully appreciate and understand what true freedom means/
I wonder if Adama Barrow now believes he is actually the President of an African country, or is he still walking the floor at Argos? Sometimes away from the photo shoots, his government acts very suspiciously.
Will someone help me with answers regarding the exact role of Mike Scales on this forum other than his utter display of calumny and blatant attempts to detract from important issues.
I’ve seen lots of evidence in support of a commentator’s statement on this forum that Mike Scales may be a person without gainful employment, albeit with ample time for commentary and devotion aimed at looking for an “Expat” opportunity to get a foot into the corridors of government and the “Gambian Mafioso”.
Any big wins at the Bookies lately Mike?
£2040 at Cheltenham past night…..A horse called “your so cool” @ 11-1
Oh so you decide to speak with me again…I much prefer you crawl back down your hole. You are toxic.
Celebrating human rights when in yur own country section 25 of the constitution is being violated and yet mr. President yu seem to be unaware or collaborating. The #occupy west field denial is betrayal of the oath yu swore
Mike, stop being a hypocrite, in the UK people have to inform the police six days before a protest/demonstration about the venue, time , route and names and addresses of the organisers. The police can change the route of your march, set any other condition of your march. They can also change the location, limit how long a rally lasts, limit the amount of people who attend
stop a sit-down protest if it blocks road traffic or public walkways. Moreover the UK police keep video surveillance of protests in a databank. So tell me where did the Gambian police went wrong???. Or where is the inconsistency in the Government’s commitment to respecting human rights and the police carrying out their duties???? After all this is in UK the Birthplace of the Magna Carta. The right of the few to protest should not encroach on the right of the many to freely enjoy and go on with their business. If the aim of the protest is to make the authorities aware of the unbearable effects of lack of energy, then they have already succeeded in doing that. They have had audience with the Energy Minister, the Interior Minister and the top management of NAWEC. I think both parties should be applauded for taking that approach than stoking the ambers of discontent. This is a clear manifestation of how far we have come as a country because such an approach would be unthinkable in Jammeh’s dictatorial era. I respect those youths for not listening to hypocrites like you Mike, and instead choose dialogue.