58TH AND 59TH ACTIVITY REPORTS
OF THE
AFRICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN AND
PEOPLES’ RIGHTS
Presented in accordance with
Article 54 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights
1
I.
SUMMARY
1. The 58th and 59th Combined Activity Reports of the African Commission on Human
and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission or the ACHPR) are presented to the Heads
of State and Government of the African Union (AU), in accordance with Article 54
of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (the African Charter) and
cover the period from 6 November 2024 to 30 October 2025.
2. The activities presented in this Report, which were undertaken by the Commission
during the period under review, are geared towards achieving the priority areas
set out in the Commission's 2021-2025 Strategic Plan. Accordingly, the
Commission’s statutory meetings were devoted, in particular, to strengthening the
protection mandate by processing Communications on alleged human rights
violations, thereby reinforcing the Commission's implementation of its mandate to
protect human and peoples' rights. This mandate is further strengthened by the
Commission's interventions on urgent and pressing human rights issues through
letters of urgent appeal and concern, press releases, resolutions and letters of
commendation.
3. The statutory meetings and other activities reflected in this report also contributed
to an enhanced promotion of human rights on the continent, as required by the
African Charter, including through field missions, elaboration of supplementary
human rights norms and knowledge materials, advocacy, publicity and capacitybuilding initiatives.
4. The activities carried out by the Commission’s Special Mechanisms and the
consideration of Reports of States Parties to the African Charter on the
implementation of the rights and freedoms enshrined in the African Charter, have
contributed to the improvement of national legal and institutional frameworks for
the promotion and protection of rights at the national level through the adoption
of new laws, the revision of existing laws and the creation or reform of relevant
institutions in States Parties. The Report also presents issues relating to the
Commission’s finances, staffing and functioning, as well as the Commission's
recommendations on the human rights situation on the continent.
II.
BACKGROUND
5. The Commission is an independent organ established under Article 30 of the
African Charter, which was adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and
Government of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1981. The African
Charter has been ratified by all AU Member States, with the exception of the
Kingdom of Morocco which rejoined the AU in January 2017. The Commission
became operational in 1987 and is based in Banjul, The Gambia.
2
6. The Commission is composed of eleven (11) members elected by the Heads of State
and Government of the AU, and they serve in their individual capacity and on a
part-time basis.
7. The Commission’s mandate, as defined in Article 45 of the African Charter, is as
follows:
i. To promote human and peoples’ rights, and in particular;
a) To collect documentation, carry out studies and research on African problems in the
field of human and peoples' rights, organise seminars, colloquia and conferences,
disseminate information, encourage national and local bodies concerned with human
and peoples' rights and, where appropriate, give advice or make recommendations to
Governments;
b) To formulate and lay down principles and rules to resolve legal problems
relating to the enjoyment of human and peoples' rights and fundamental
freedoms, with a view to serving as a basis for the adoption of legislative
texts by African Governments;
c) To cooperate with other African and international institutions concerned
with the promotion and protection of human and peoples' rights;
ii. To ensure the protection of human and peoples' rights under the conditions
laid down in this Charter;
iii. To Interpret any provision of the present Charter at the request of a State Party,
an OAU Institution or an African Organization recognized by the OAU; and
iv. To carry out any other tasks that may be entrusted to it by the Conference of
Heads of State and Government.
III.
MEETINGS OF THE AU POLICY-MAKING ORGANS, STATUTORY
MEETINGS AND OTHER INSTITUTIONAL MEETINGS DURING THE
REPORTING PERIOD
A. MEETINGS OF THE AU POLICY-MAKING ORGANS
➢ 38th African Union Summit, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
8. The Commission participated in the following meetings of the AU Policy Organs,
held from 14 January to 16 February 2025:
i. The 49th Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC)
held virtually from 14 to 31st January 2025;
ii. The 46th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council (EC), held in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia, from 12th to 13th February 2025; and
iii. The 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government
(the Assembly) held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 15th to 16th February 2025.
3
9. In accordance with the African Charter and established practice, the 56th and 57th
Combined Activity Reports of the Commission were presented to the 49th Ordinary
Session of the PRC. After discussions at PRC and Executive Council level,
publication of the Activity Reports was authorised by Decision EX.CL/Dec.1284
(XLVI). The Report has been published on the Commission's website.
➢ 7th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
10. The Commission also participated in the following meetings of the AU Policy
Organs, held from 9 June to 13 July 2025:
i. 50th Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives’ Committee (PRC)
held in a hybrid format from 09 June to 20 June 2025;
ii. 47th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council, held n Malabo, Equatorial
Guinea, from 10 to 11 July 2025; and
iii. The 7th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting between the African Union, Regional
Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms held in Malabo, Equatorial
Guinea, on 13 July 2025.
B. STATUTORY AND INSTITUTIONAL MEETINGS
➢ 37th Extra-Ordinary Session (Private)
11. The 37th Extra-Ordinary Session was held in Dakar, Senegal from 2 to 6 December
2024. The Final Communiqué of this Session, published on the Commission’s
website, gives a full account of the deliberations which occurred.
➢ 82nd Ordinary Session (Private)
12. The 82nd Ordinary Session was held virtually from 25 February to 11 March 2025.
The Final Communiqué of this Session, published on the Commission’s website,
gives a full account of the deliberations which occurred.
➢ 83rd Ordinary Session (Public/Private)
13. The 83rd Ordinary Session was held in a hybrid format in Banjul, The Gambia, from
2 to 22 May 2025.
14. During this Session, the Commission organised the following Panels:
i.
ii.
iii.
Panel on the Current Human Rights Situation in Sudan;
Panel on the African Union Convention on Ending Violence Against Women
and Girls and Launching of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in
Africa’s Women Empowerment Newsletter;
Panel on the Need for a Torture-Free Trade Treaty;
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iv.
v.
Panel on Lessons from the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and
Current Challenges: Human Rights in Conflict Situations and Transitional
Justice; and
Panel on Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through
Reparations;
15. Additionally, within the Session, the Second Joint Forum of the Special
Mechanisms of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights was held
with the theme: Human Rights as an Imperative for People-Centred Sustainable
Development in Africa. The Second Joint Special Mechanisms Forum provided a
platform for the Commission’s special mechanisms to come together with diverse
partners of the Commission and stakeholders in the African human rights system
to showcase their work, highlight cross-cutting issues, share insights, and develop
comprehensive approaches and strategies to address the human rights issues that
cut across different mandates.
16. Details of the activities undertaken by the Commission at its 83rd Ordinary Session
are set out in the corresponding Final Communiqué, which can be accessed on the
Commission’s website: www.achpr.org.
17. The intersession reports presented by the members of the Commission and its
Special Mechanisms at the 83rd Ordinary Session can also be accessed on the
Commission’s website.
➢ 84th Ordinary Session (Private)
18. The 84th Ordinary Session was held virtually from 21 to 30 July 2025. The Final
Communiqué of this Session, published on the Commission’s website, gives a full
account of the deliberations conducted.
➢ 38th Extra-Ordinary Session (Private)
19. The 38th Extra-Ordinary Session was held virtually on 19 September 2025. The Final
Communiqué of this Session, published on the Commission’s website, gives a full
account of the deliberations which occurred
➢ 85th Ordinary Session (Public/Private)
20. The 85th Ordinary Session was held from 7 to 15 October 2025, virtually in Private
Session and from 21 to 30 October 2025 in Public Session, in Banjul, The Gambia.
21. The Commission elected its new Bureau, which shall serve for two (2) years. The
new Bureau comprises Honourable Commissioner Idrissa Sow, elected as
Chairperson, and Honourable Commissioner Hatem Essaiem, elected as ViceChairperson.
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22. During the Public Session, the Commission organised the following Panels:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
Panel on the 60th Anniversary of the International Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination;
Panel on Externalization of Migration Management: Legal Issues, Current
Challenges, and the Responsibilities of African States;
Panel on the Right to the Environment in Africa;
Panel on the Protocols on the Rights of Older Persons and Persons with
Disabilities: One Year After Their Entry into Force - Lessons Learned and
Future Perspectives for Enhanced Rights Protection;
Panel on Extrajudicial Killings in the Context of the Fight Against Terrorism in
Africa;
Panel on the Study on Prisons;
Panel on the Current Human Rights Situation in Sudan;
Panel on Strategies for Advancing the Implementation of ACHPR Decisions:
Reflections, Experiences and New Directions;
ix.
Panel on Advocacy for the Continental Ratification and Implementation of the
Treaties under the Commission ‘s Monitoring; and
x.
Panel on African Union Theme of the Year 2025: Decade for Afro Decendants.
23. Also, within the context of this session, the Commission held a commemorative
event marking the celebration of Africa Human Rights Day on 21 October. The
event highlighted achievements, identified ongoing challenges, and strengthened
engagement on human rights promotion and protection across Africa.
24. As well, the Commission held a Press Conference on the Publication of the Report
of the Joint Fact-Finding Mission on the Situation in the Republic of the Sudan,
and launched the following documents during the Session:
i.
18th Newsletter on Police and Human Rights;
ii.
2025 Newsletter of the Commiteee for the Preventiion of Torture in Africa;
and
iii.
4th Edition of the Newsletter of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of
Women in Africa.
25. Details of the activities undertaken by the Commission at its 85th Ordinary Session
are set out in the corresponding Final Communiqué, which can be accessed on the
Commission’s website: www.achpr.org
C. OTHER ACHPR ACTIVITIES
➢ Retreat of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the
African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights
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26. From 2 to 3 June 2025, the Commission and the African Court on Human and
Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) held a retreat in Arusha, Tanzania. The retreat was
organised for the Commission and the AfCHPR, to discuss measures for
enhancing the practical implementation of the statutory relationship of
complementarity between the two Organs as envisaged by the Protocol to the
African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Establishment of the
African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Rules of Procedure of both
Organs. The retreat resulted, among others, in the adoption by the two bodies of
Joint Guidelines on the Submission and Transfer of Cases.
➢ Consultation with the Peace and Security Council of the African Union
27. On 19 June 2025, the Commission held a virtual consultation with the African
Union Peace and Security Council (PSC), among other things, on strengthening
institutional synergies and regular information exchanges between the two
bodies, anchoring a rights-based approach at all stages of a conflict cycle (alert,
prevention, management, resolution, reconstruction); addressing the root causes
of conflict (deprivation of rights, inequalities, discrimination); protecting
vulnerable groups (women, children, internally displaced persons, refugees,
migrants, persons with disabilities, etc.); respect for international humanitarian
law and international human rights law by belligerents; the role of the
Commission in transitional justice (technical support to States); the financial
challenges facing the Commission; and ways to ensure more predictable funding,
with the aim of implementing the institutionalized annual PSC-ACHPR
consultation (since the 86th AU-PSC Session).
➢ Conference on Advocacy for the Continental Ratification of the Treaties
under the ACHPR Monitoring: Towards Achieving the Universal
Ratification of all African Human Rights Treaties
28. From 27 to 28 September 2025, in Accra, Ghana, the Commission held a Conference
on Advocacy for the Continental Ratification of the Treaties under the ACHPR
Monitoring: Towards Achieving the Universal Ratification of all African Human
Rights Treaties. The Conference was organised to advocate for the universal
ratification of the core human rights instruments monitored by the Commission.
29. The specific instruments discussed, which form a core part of the Commission's
monitoring mandate, include the following: the African Charter on Human and
Peoples' Rights; the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women in
Africa; the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
in Africa; the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Older Persons; the
Protocol to the African Charter on the Right to a Nationality and the Eradication of
Statelessness in Africa; the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Citizens
to Social Protection and Social Security; the African Union Convention on Ending
Violence Against Women and Girls; the African Union Convention for the
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Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala
Convention); and the OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee
Problems in Africa. The Conference prompted decisive action by raising
awareness, sharing knowledge about ratification processes, identifying obstacles,
and developing practical strategies to accelerate progress toward universal
ratification and implementation.
➢ Second Edition Pre-Session Forum of State Parties to the African Charter on
Human and Peoples’ Rights.
30. From 19 to 20 October 2025, the Commission organised the Second Edition of the
State Parties’ Pre-Session Forum preceding its 85th Ordinary Session, in Banjul, The
Gambia. The Forum was organised with the aim of fostering enhanced
communication, cooperation, and collaborative endeavours among States Parties
and all stakeholders, invested in advancing and safeguarding human rights across
the African continent.
31. By creating this platform for States Parties, the Commission also seeks to
strengthen dialogue, deepen partnerships, and promote a more inclusive
approach to human rights discourse and action within the African context. This
initiative underscores the Commission’s commitment to engaging with all
relevant actors and fostering a comprehensive and participatory framework for
advancing human rights principles and practices in Africa.
32. The Second Edition of the State Parties’ Pre-Session Forum, among others,
adopted the Terms of Reference for the Forum including its coordination
mechanism, and discussed key thematic human rights issues of priority to
Member States.
IV.
STATUS OF SUBMISSION OF PERIODIC REPORTS
33. The Commission monitors implementation of the African Charter and other
relevant legal instruments, including the Protocol to the African Charter on Human
and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (the Maputo Protocol) and
the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally
Displaced Persons in Africa (the Kampala Convention), by: receiving and
examining periodic reports during the Ordinary Session; engaging directly with
States on the content of their Report; drawing Conclusions and making general
Recommendations on the Reports; in addition to following up on the nonsubmission of Periodic Reports by States Parties.
34. During the 83rd Ordinary Session, the Commission examined the following State
Periodic Reports:
8
i.
ii.
7th to 10th Periodic Report of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia under
the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ and the Initial Report under the
Maputo Protocol, covering the period from 2015 to 2023; and
16th Periodic Report of the Republic of Zimbabwe under the African Charter on
Human and Peoples and the Second Report under the Maputo Protocol,
covering the period from 2019 to 2023.
35. During the 85th Ordinary Session, the Commission examined the following State
Periodic Reports:
i.
ii.
iii.
The 4th and 5th Combined Periodic Report of the Republic of Botswana under
the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights , covering the period from
2018 to 2023;
The 18th and 19th Combined Periodic Reports of the Arab Republic of Egypt
under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights , covering the period
from 2019 to 2024; and
The 10th to 18th Combined Periodic Reports of the Republic of Tunisia under the
African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Maputo Protocol ,
covering the period from 2006 to 2024;
36. Under Article 62 of the African Charter, States Parties are required to submit
Periodic Reports every two (2) years. The status of Periodic Reports submitted to
the Commission by States Parties, counting from the last reporting period, is
therefore as follows:
STATUS
STATES PARTIES
NUMBER
Report under
review1
Botswana, Egypt, Mauritius and Tunisia
Up to date
Angola,
Burkina
Faso,
Eritrea,
Mozambique, Uganda and Zimbabwe
1 report overdue
Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Eswatini,
Kenya, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, Niger,
Nigeria, Senegal and Zambia
13
2 reports
overdue
Democratic Republic of Congo, The Gambia, Lesotho
and Togo
4
3 reports
outstanding
Rwanda
1
1
4
Ethiopia,
7
Reports under review following the submission and/or examination and subsequent adoption of the Concluding
Observations.
9
More than 3
reports
outstanding
Algeria, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African
Republic, Congo, Djibouti, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea,
Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Sahrawi Arab
Democratic Republic, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South
Africa, Sudan and Tanzania
19
No report
submitted
Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Sao
Tome and Principe, Somalia and South Sudan
6
37. With specific regard to Article 26 of the Maputo Protocol, the following twentytwo (22) States Parties have submitted their periodic reports to date: Angola,
Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Ethiopia, The
Gambia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Nigeria, Mauritania, Namibia, Rwanda,
Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
38. From the thirty-four (34) States Parties which have ratified the Kampala
Convention, the Republics of Cameroon, Angola and Burkina Faso have submitted
Reports on its implementation.
V.
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE COMMISSION
39. The Commission adopted the following Resolutions during the period under
review:
SESSION
82nd Ordinary
Session
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
Resolution on the Extension of the Deadline for conducting the review of
the Study on the Death Penalty;
Resolution on the need to Raise Awareness for States to withdraw
Reservations on some Provisions of the Maputo Protocol ACHPR/Res.632 (LXXXII) 2025;
Resolution on the Human Rights Situation in the Democratic Republic of
Congo ;
Resolution on Working towards the Assessment of Public Interest Content
in this Digital Era and developing guidelines to ensure a public interest
element for all platforms operating in Africa ;
Resolution on the need for a Study on the Development of a Specific Legal
Framework for the Protection of forcibly Displaced Persons in Africa as a
result of Climate Change;
Resolution on the need to Develop Guidelines on the Elimination of
Obstetric Violence and Promotion of Maternal Healthcare in Africa;
Resolution on the Situation of Sub-Saharan Migrants in Libya;
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viii.
ix.
x.
xi.
83rd Ordinary
Session
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
Resolution on Developing Guidelines to assist States Monitor Technology
Companies in respect of their duty to maintain Information Integrity
through Independent Fact Checking;
Resolution on the Extension of the Deadline to Conduct a Study on
Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Killings in Africa;
Resolution on the Celebration of Africa's Day of Solidarity with the World
and the Bravery of its Combatants; and
Resolution on the Development of a Model Law on Criminalizing Torture
in Africa.
Resolution on Developing General Comment on the Protection and
Promotion of the Right to Environment in Africa;
Extractive Industries and the Elimination of all forms of Exploitation in
the International Economic Relations of Africa;
Resolution on the Extension of the Mandate of the Joint Fact-Finding
Mission (JFM) on the Human Rights Situation in Sudan;
Resolution on the Extension of the Deadline for Conducting the Study on
Prisons and Conditions of Detention in Africa;
Resolution on the Extension of the Deadline for Conducting a Study on
Integrating Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in National
Development Planning in Africa; and
Resolution on the Extension of the Deadline for the completion of the
Study Assessing the Level of Compliance of National Legislations with the
Guidelines on Freedom of Association and Assembly in Africa.
84th Ordinary
Session
i. Resolution on the ongoing Serious Human Rights Violations in Gaza and the
Occupied Palestinian Territories;
ii. Resolution on the Human Rights Situation in the United Republic of
Tanzania; and
iii. Resolution on the need to undertake a Study on the Review of the Model Law
on Access to Information for Africa.
85th Ordinary
Session
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
Resolution on the Extension of the Mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission on
situation of human rights in the Republic of The Sudan;
Resolution on Justice for Victims since 1997 of Serious and Massive Human
Rights Violations and International Crimes in the Democratic Republic of
Congo;
Resolution on the Ceasefire in the Palestinian Occupied Territories;
Resolution on the Obligations of African States in the Context of the
Externalization of Migration Governance and the Extra-Regional Transfer
of Migrants to Africa;
Resolution for the Conduct of the Working Group’s draft study on
Mapping Indigenous populations and communities in Africa;
Resolution for the Conduct of the Working Group’s draft study on
Mapping Ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and regional minorities in Africa;
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vii.
Resolution on supporting citizen election observers and strengthening
electoral integrity in Africa;
Resolution on the renewal of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on
Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Internally Displaced Persons and Migrants in
Africa;
Resolution on the Reconstitution of the Resolutions Committee; and
Resolution on the Reconstitution of the Working Group on
Communications.
viii.
ix.
x.
VI.
HUMAN RIGHTS
COMMISSION
COMPLAINTS/COMMUNICATIONS
TO
THE
Communications
40. As part of its protection mandate, the Commission is specifically mandated by the
African Charter to receive and consider Communications (Complaints) submitted
to it on alleged human rights violations.
41. The following Communications were considered during the period under review
with one hundred and seventy-seven (177) Communications currently pending
before the Commission:
SESSION
77th Ordinary
Session
37th Ordinary
Session (Private)
ADOPTED COMMUNICATIONS
Decision adopted on Merits-1
i.
Communication 725/19: M. Hassane Ahmed el Barwane and others v.
Comoros2
Decision adopted on Admissibility – 1
i. Communication 823/23 : DAME KONZI MONGOT née REGINA OLA OJO
v. République centrafricaine
Request of Review of non-seizure, dismissed-1
i. Communication 846/24 - Government of the Republic of Biafra in Exile v.
Nigeria
82nd Ordinary
Session (Private)
Seizure -1
i. Communication 861/ 24 – The Republic of Sudan v The Republic of Chad
Decisions adopted on Merits - 4
2
This Communication was adopted at the 77th Ordinary Session but was mistakenly not included to the 56th and
57th Activity Report.
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i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Communication 655/17 – Les femmes de Lieke Lesole, parties civiles dans
l’affaire Basele Lututula, alias colonel Thom’s et autres (représentées par
Action Contre l’Impunité pour les Droits Humains) c. République
Démocratique du Congo ;
Communication 799/22 – Busisiwe Mkhwebane (represented by Shadrack
Tebeile) v Republic of South Africa;
Communication 763/21- William Sipai and 13 other representatives of the
Keekonyokie Clan of the Maasai People of Kitet (represented by Dr. Duncan
Ojwang) v. Republic of Kenya; and
Communication 622/16 - Aline Bahogwerhe v. Democratic Republic of
Congo.
Decisions adopted on Admissibility – 4
Admissible -2
i. Communication 721/19- Martin Fayulu Madidi v. Democratic Republic of
Congo; and
ii. Communication 667/17 - The Swahili and Twa minorities of Burundi
(represented by the NGO Via-Volonté) v. Republic of Burundi.
Inadmissible -2
i. Communication 783/22 – Johannes Moko (represented by Shadrack Tebeile v.
South Africa; and
ii. Communication 797/22 – Osama Ibrahim Al saide Ali Konswa v. The Republic
of Cameroun.
83rd Ordinary
Session (Public)
Strike Out -3
i.
Communication 802/22 – Adel Aissaoui v People's Democratic Republic of
Algeria;
ii.
Communication 723/19 – NIMBOMA Tharcisse (represented by
Ntiburumunsi Jean-Claude and NTIRANYUHURA Divine) v. Republic of
Burundi; and
iii.
Communication 841/24 - Nasim Onezime (represented by Begi’s Law Offices
and Chambers Advocates) v. The Republic of Seychelles.
Decisions adopted on Merits – 1
i.
Communication 697/18 – Mr Kaptue Tagne Serges Bruces v. The Republic of
Cameroon
Decisions adopted on Admissibility – 8
Admissible – 3
i.
ii.
Communication 800/22 – Placide Muganga (represented by Advocates Armel
Niyongere, Jean Claude Ntiburumunsi and Divine Ntiranyuhura) v. The
Republic of Burundi;
Communication 817/23: Rami Shaath (Represented by Open Society Justice
Initiative, Freedom Initiative, Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, Cairo
13
Institute for Human Rights, Natasha Arnbrester et Rachel Murray) v. The Arab
Republic of Egypt; and
Communication 722/19 - Global Concern Cameroon (Gcc) Vs. The
Republic of Cameroon.
iii.
Inadmissible - 5
i.
Communication 784/22: Mashilo Sako (représenté par M. Shadrack Tebeile)
v, The Republic of South Africa;
ii.
Communication 785/22 – Selemabothokgo Magdeline Rachidi and the
Republic of South Africa;
iii.
Communication 786/22: Maselina Mathabela (represented by Mr. Shadrack
Tebeile) v. The Republic of South Africa;
iv.
Communication 827/23 – Consortium de la société civile Gabonaise pour la
transparence électorale et la démocratie (COTED), Réseau des Organisations
libres de la société civile pour la bonne gouvernance au Gabon (ROLBG) et Mike
JOCKTANE c. République Gabonaise;
v.
Communication 833/24: Apôtre Joseph KITWA NSENGA v. The Democratic
Republic of the Congo;
Oral Hearing
i.
84th Ordinary
Session (Private
Session)
Communication 782/22 – Legal Action Worldwide (LAW), Pan African
Lawyers Union (PALU) and Debevoise & Plimpton LLP (Debevoise) v The
Republic of Ethiopia.
Decisions adopted on Merits – 3
i.
Communication 739/20 – NCHANKOU NDJINDAM (représentant la SARL
METIS et Feue Madame ETOUMAN Hélène Adèle) c. la République du
Cameroun;
ii. Communication 452/13 – Ali Askouri and Abdel-Hakeem Nasr (on behalf of
persons affected by the Construction of the Merowe and Kajbar Dams) v.
Republic of Sudan; and
iii. Communication 604/16 – Dr. Bushra Gamar Hussein Rahama v. The Republic
of the Sudan.
Decisions adopted on Admissibility - 9
Admissible - 5
i. Communication 572/15 – Antonio Nevil Rome & 2 others (represented by dev
Hurnam) Republic of Mauritius;
ii. Communication 703/18 - Cathy Bosongo Beando c/ The Democratic Republic
of Congo;
iii. Communication 840/24: Eiman Ali Bashir Elshafie (represented by the
African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies [ACJPS]) v. Sudan;
iv. Communication 638/16 - Trial c. Republique Du Burundi; and
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v. Communication 782/22 – Legal Action Worldwide (LAW), Pan African
Lawyers Union (PALU) and Debevoise & Plimpton LLP (Debevoise) v The
Republic of Ethiopia.
Inadmissible - 4
i. Communication 688/18 – Atemnkeng Richard (Represented by Mbufor Fonju
John Law Firm) v. The Republic of Cameroon;
ii. Communication 787/22 – Onai Muzore et Junior Munyaka au nom de leur
fille Precious Muzore (représentée par M. Shadrack Tebeile) c. République
d'Afrique du Sud;
iii. Communication 788/22 - Institut Tebeile (représenté par M. Shadrack
Tebeile) c. République d'Afrique du Sud; and
iv. Communication 836/24-Landry Angelo ADELAKOUN, Romaric ZINSOU,
Miguèle
HOUETO,
Fréjus
ATTINDOGLO,
and
Conaïde
AKOUEDENOUDJE v. Republic of Benin.
Strike Out -3
i.
Communication 651/16 – Elevage Promotion Afrique (EPA) SARL
(represented by Mr Azangue Bernard) v. Cameroon;
ii.
Communication 795/22: Liberty Fighters Network and Reyno Dawid De
Beer (represented by Reyno Dawid De Beer) v the Republic of South Africa;
and
iii.
Communication 746/21 Displaced Ogoni People (represented by the
World Service Authority) v. Republic of Benin
85th Ordinary
Session (Public
Session)
Decisions adopted on Admissibility - 9
Admissible - 6
i.
Communication 566/15: Mrs Chiggle v. Cameroon;
ii.
Communication 850/24: Maliza SAID SOILIHI v. Comoros;
iii.
Communication 811/23-815/23: Eric Noudehouenou Houngue v. Bénin ;
iv.
Communication 853/24: Landry Angelo ADELAKOUN & Others v.
Republic of Benin;
v.
Communication 714/19: Alexis Sebahene v. Burundi; and
vi.
Communication 814/23: Amhara Association of America (AAA) and the
Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria (CHR) v. Federal Democratic
Republic of Ethiopia.
Inadmissible - 3
i.
Communication 839/24: Kenyi Yasin Abdallah v. The Republic of South
Sudan;
ii.
Communication 820/23: Timipa Jenkins Okponipere v. The Federal Republic
of Nigeria; and
iii.
Communication 825/23: Jean Paul BELFIS contre République du Congo.
Strike Out- 2
i.
Communication 798/22: José Marius Mboyo Makpma Kavra v. The
Republic of Central Africa; and
15
ii.
Communication 865/25: William Kiplangat & others v. Republic of Kenya
Provisional Measures - 1
i.
Communication 861/24: The Republic of the Sudan v. Republic of Chad.
Oral Hearing- 1
i.
Communication 779/22: Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma v. South Africa.
Communications
seized
(9)
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
ix.
Communication 861/ 24 – The Republic of Sudan v The Republic of Chad;
Communication 865/25 – William Kiplangat Kalegu and others (Roy Koimett)
v. The Republic of Kenya ;
Communication 866/25 – Mais integridade and three others v. Republic of
Mozambique ;
Communication 867/25 – OPIANGAH Patrick Hervé / the state of Gabon ;
Communication 868/25 – Red Sea Afar Democratic Organisation v The State
of Eritrea ;
Communication 870/25 – Mr. Rabah HELAL v The State of Algeria ;
Communication 873/25 – Ayman Abdelaziz Attia Mahmoud Nour v. Arab
Republic of Egypt ;
Communication 877/25 – Joseph Mobutu c. la République Démocratique du
Congo ;
Comm 880/25 – Maurice KAMTO (représenté par Me Hippolyte BT MELI) c.
la République du Cameroun
42. The above tables show that during the period under review, the Commission was
seized of nine (9) Communications, and one (1) Communication was dismissed on
review of seizure. It declared seventeen (17) Communications admissible,
fourteen (14) Communications inadmissible and struck eight (8) off its list. The
Commission also issued provisional measures on one (1) Communication, took
nine (9) decisions on the Merits and held Oral Hearings on two (2)
Communications.
VII.
APPLICATIONS FOR OBSERVER AND AFFILIATE STATUS
43. In accordance with Resolution ACHPR/Res.572(LXXVII)2023 on the Criteria for
Granting and Maintaining Observer Status to Non-Governmental
Organizations working on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Africa, the
Commission, during its 83rd and 85th Ordinary Sessions, granted Observer status
to the following thirteen (13) NGOs:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
Afro Barometer;
Save Generations Organization;
Community Healthcare Initiative;
Women in Mining in Nigeria;
Centre pour la qualité du Droit et la Justice;
16
vi.
vii.
viii.
ix.
x.
xi.
Association des victimes de Torture au Togo (ASVITTO);
Partners for Transparency Association;
Africa Disability Forum ADF;
Human Rights and Forest Grain Africa HURIFBA;
Kutakesa Association, Movement of Human Rights Defenders of Angola;
Réseau actif pour la protection et l'assistance aux personnes déplacées
internes RAPAPDI;
xii. MOSAIKO; and
xiii. Voix de femmes.
44. This brings the total number of NGOs with Observer Status to Five Hundred and
Ninety-Two (592) at the end of the reporting period.
45. In accordance with Resolution CACDHP/Res.370 (LX) 2017 on the Granting of
Affiliate Status to National Human Rights Institutions and Specialised Human
Rights Institutions in Africa, the Commission granted Affiliate Status to the
National Commission for Human Rights and Citizenship of Guinea Bissau, during
the 85th Ordinary Session. To date, the Commission has granted Affiliate Status to
thirty-nine (39) NHRIs and Specialised Institutions.
VIII. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMISSION’S DECISIONS, REQUESTS
FOR PROVISIONAL MEASURES, CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS AND
URGENT APPEAL LETTERS
46. As can be observed below, the level of compliance by the State Parties with the
Commission’s Decisions, requests for Provisional Measures and Letters of Urgent
Appeal remains low:
➢ Monitoring the Implementation of Recommendations to State Parties and
Decisions on Communications:
47. During the reporting period, the Commission completed its comprehensive
database of all finalized decisions on Communications from its creation up to date,
including the recommendations in those decisions. The database is to facilitate
tracking of compliance by the Commission and for ease of reference by States
Parties and other stakeholders. The database is available on the Commission’s
website. Databases for all recommendations in Concluding Observations on State
Reports and in Promotion Mission Reports were also completed up-to-date, and
are equally now available on the Commission’s website.
48. The Commission also conducted two engagements on the implementation of its
decisions and recommendations: (a) Conference on Advocacy for the Continental
Ratification and Implementation of Treaties under the ACHPR Monitoring held
from 27 to 28 September 2025 in Accra, Ghana; and (b) Panel on Strategies for
17
Advancing the Implementation of ACHPR Decisions: Reflections, Successes and
New Directions, held during the 85th Ordinary Session of the ACHPR on 28th
October 2025 in Banjul, The Gambia.
49. In relation to the status of implementation of final decisions on Communications,
in accordance with Rule 125 of its Rules of Procedure (2020), the Commission
received during the reporting period: (i) a letter from the Complainant regarding
the lack of implementation of the Commission’s recommendations in
Communication 626/16 Philip Forsang Ndikum (Represented by Ndikum Law Offices)
v Cameroon (adopted at the 73rd Ordinary Session in November 2022); and (ii) a
letter from a coalition of civil society organisations on the status of
implementation of the Commission’s decision in Communication 276/03 Centre
for Minority Rights Development (on behalf of the Endorois community) v Kenya
(adopted at the 46th Ordinary Session in November 2009).
50. The Commission encourages all State Parties to continue to implement the
Commission’s recommendations and decisions; and report on the measures taken
in relation to implementation of final decisions on Communications in line with
Rule 125 of its Rules of Procedure 2020.
➢ Implementation of Letters of Urgent Appeal; Concern & Commendation
51. During the reporting period, forty-four (44) Letters of Urgent Appeal were sent to
States Parties, concerning various allegations of human rights violations:
STATE
DATE OF
LETTER
Democratic
Republic of Congo
18 November
2024
South Africa
2 December
2024
Libya
22 January
2025
Ethiopia
23 January
2025
ISSUE JUSTIFYING A LETTER OF
URGENT APPEAL
STATE
PARTY'S
RESPONSE
Letter of Urgent Appeal regarding No response
the alleged enforced disappearances received
of Jacques Sinzahera and Gloire
Saasita- human rights defenders
Letter of Urgent Appeal regarding No response
the
proposed
Western
Cape received
Government’s development of the
Oude Molen Eco Village Heritage
Site
Joint Letter of Urgent Appeal on
allegations of torture and other
forms of cruel, inhuman and
degrading treatment of detainees in
Qarnada prison in Libya
Joint Letter of Urgent Appeal on the
alleged widespread human rights
violations against the Amhara
people in Ethiopia
18
No response
received
No response
received
Benin
27 January
2025
Ethiopia
28 January
2025
Mozambique
31 January
2025
Guinea
31 January
2025
Chad
3 February
2025
Congo
14 February
2025
Eritrea
15 February
2025
Mali
21 February
2025
Joint Letter of Urgent Appeal in
response to reports on the
suspension of various media outlets
by the High Authority for Audio
Visual and Communication, which
were accompanied by the revocation
of press credentials for the publisher
of L’Audace Infos, Mr Romuald
Alingo
Joint Letter of Urgent Appeal
regarding the alleged unlawful
detention and severe medical neglect
of Christian Tadele, an Ethiopian
Member of Parliament and advocate
for Amhara rights
Joint Letter of Urgent Appeal
following reports of the enforced
disappearance and death of Mr.
Arlindo Chissale
Joint Letter of Urgent Appeal
concerning
the
enforced
disappearance of journalist Habib
Marouane Camara, director of the
news website "Le Révélateur 24,"
since his abduction on 3 December
2024
Letter of Urgent Appeal following
the
allegations
of
arbitrary
executions and arrests of protesters
in Laramanaye on 14 January 2025
Letter of Urgent Appeal regarding
reports of mass rape and torture
committed against hundreds of
women following a violent attack on
a prison in the eastern part of Congo
Letter of Urgent Appeal on alleged
restrictions on movement and
displacement of Afars in the
Southern Red Sea Region
Joint Letter of Urgent Appeal
concerning among other things, the
enforced disappearance of Mr.
Daouda Magassa, a member of the
Coordination
of
Movements,
Associations and Sympathizers of
Imam Mahmoud Dicko, since 5
February 2025
19
No response
received
Response
received dated 6
March 2025
No response
received
No response
received
No response
received
No response
received
No response
received
No response
received
Burkina Faso
14 March 2025
Uganda
24 March 2025
Nigeria
25 March 2025
Burkina Faso
2 April 2025
Mali
4 April 2025
Algeria
4 April 2025
Algeria
4 April 2025
Cameroun
4 April 2025
Niger
4 April 2025
Letter of Urgent Appeal following
the massacre of hundreds of
civilians in the district of Solenzo on
10 and 11 March 2025
Joint Letter of Urgent Appeal
regarding the alleged violations of
the independence and security of
legal professionals, particularly the
reported arbitrary arrest, detention,
and sentencing of Advocate Eron
Kiiza, the lawyer representing Dr.
Kizza Besigye, a political opposition
leader
Joint Letter of Urgent Appeal
regarding the reported suspension
of Senator Natasha AkpotiUduaghan from the Senate of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria
Joint Letter of Urgent Appeal
regarding allegations of the
abduction and arbitrary detention of
Mr. Guézouma Sanogo, a journalist
with Radio Télévision du Burkina
and President of the Association of
Journalists of Burkina Faso (AJB),
and Mr. Boukari Ouoba, an
investigative Journalist and VicePresident of AJB on 24 March 2025
Letter of Urgent Appeal following
the allegations of the abduction and
arbitrary detention of Mr. Alou
Badra Sacko, a human rights
defender on 14 March 2025
Letter of Urgent Appeal concerning
allegations of violations of the right
to association, specifically the
restriction of Trade Union freedoms
in the country
Letter of Urgent Appeal following
the alleged arbitrary arrest and
detention of Mr. Boualem Sansal
Letter of Urgent Appeal following
allegations of suspension of civil
society organisations including
REDHAC and the ReachOut
Association
Joint Letter of Urgent Appeal
following the alleged violation of the
20
No response
received
No response
received
No response
received
No response
received
No response
received
Response
received on 29
April 2025
Response
received on 16
June 2025
No response
received
No response
received
Togo
04 April 2025
Burundi
9 April 2025
Zambia
23 April 2025
Côte d’Ivoire
24 April 2025
Libya
28 April 2025
Mali
02 May 2025
Tanzania
12 May 2025
right to freedom of human rights
defenders, in particular the judicial
harassment and arbitrary detention
of Mr. Moussa Tchiangari, Journalist
and Human Rights Defender
Letter of Urgent Appeal following
the alleged arbitrary arrest and
detention of Françoise Affiavi Agba,
her son and her brother-in-law, all
accused of conspiracy against
national security and financing
terrorism
Letter of Urgent Appeal regarding
the conviction and sentencing of Ms.
Sandra Muhoza, a journalist
working with the online media La
Nova
Burundi,
for
sharing
information in a private WhatsApp
group for media professionals
Letter of Urgent Appeal concerning
hazardous lead waste mining and its
impact on the rights of communities
in Kabwe, Zambia
Letter of Urgent Appeal regarding
the allegations of the arbitrary arrest,
detention and sentencing of Mr.
Ghislain Assy Duggary, a trade
unionist following his participation
in a teachers' strike
Joint Letter of Urgent Appeal
concerning the situation of migrants,
refugees and asylum seekers and the
NGOs
providing
them
with
humanitarian aid in Libya, following
a disinformation campaign on social
networks
Joint Letter of Urgent Appeal
following allegations of extrajudicial
executions and enforced
disappearances of several dozen
men, mostly from the Peuhl
community, after their arrest on 12
April 2025, by the Malian Armed
Forces in Sebabougou, Kayes region
Joint Letter of Urgent Appeal
following allegations of multiple
human rights violations during the
pre-election period, including the
enforced disappearance of Mr.
21
No response
received
No response
received
No response
received
No response
received
No response
received
No response
received
No response
received
Tanzania
12 May 2025
Cameroun
20 May 2025
Tanzania
02 June 2025
Kenya
4 June 2025
Ethiopia
5 June 2025
Algeria
5 June 2025
Cameroun
18 June 2025
Mpaluka
Mdude
Nyagali,
a
Tanzanian human rights and
political activist, abducted from his
home in Mbeya
Joint Letter of Urgent Appeal
concerning the human rights
situation in the country and arrest of
Mr. Tundu Lissu, the Chairman of
Tanzania’s main opposition party,
detained on 09 April 2025
Joint Letter of Urgent Appeal
regarding the arrest of Mr. Tsi
Conrad, a documentary filmmaker
and human rights defender from
Cameroon’s Northwest Region, in
December 2016 and sentenced in
2018 to fifteen years in prison for
“acts of terrorism, secession,
spreading
false
information,
revolution, insurrection, contempt
for public bodies and officials, and
hostility against the nation.”
Joint Letter of Urgent Appeal
concerning the conditions of
detention of Mr Lissu including: the
lack of access to his legal
representatives when he was
initially detained; restricted visits by
his legal representatives, family,
friends; reported denial of access to
essential medication and homecooked food; and refusal of
participation in religious services
within the prison
Letter of Urgent Appeal regarding
the arrest and prosecution of digital
activist Ms. Rose Njeri, and threats to
civic space in Kenya
Joint Letter of Urgent Appeal
regarding reports of the alleged
arbitrary arrest and detention of
striking health workers in Ethiopia
Letter of Urgent Appeal regarding
the
blockage
of
Riposte
Internationale website in Algeria
Letter of Urgent Appeal regarding
restrictions on freedom of assembly
for supporters of Maurice Kamto
22
No response
received
No response
received
No response
received
Response
Received on 13
October 2025
Response
received on 18
September 2025
Response
received on 9
September 2025
No response
received
Togo
18 June 2025
Letter of Urgent Letter regarding the No response
arrest and detention of Mr. Tchala received
Essowe Narcisse
Togo
9 July 2025
The Gambia
14 August
2025
Letter of Urgent Appeal regarding
arrest and detention during protests
from 5 - 6 June 2025
Letter of Urgent Appeal relating to
the death of a one-month-old baby
girl from complications following
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Response
received on 7
July 2025
No response
received
Niger
23 August
2025
No response
received
Angola
15 September
2025
Senegal
30 September
2025
Chad
2 October
2025
Tunisia
7 October
2025
Joint Letter of Urgent Appeal on the
dissolution of trade unions in the
justice sector and the dismissal of
two senior magistrates from the from
the
Syndicat
Autonome
des
Magistrats au Niger
Joint Letter of Urgent Appeal
regarding allegations of the use of
force, killings, arrests, and arbitrary
detentions during the July 2025
protests in the Republic of Angola
Joint Letter of Urgent Appeal with
the African Committee of Experts on
the Rights and Welfare of the Child
concerning the death of the young
talibé Abdou Khadr Seck and the
protection of talibé children in
Senegal
Joint Letter of Urgent Appeal
concerning the revocation of the
Chadian nationality of Messrs
Charfadine Galmaye Saleh and
N'Guebla Makaïla
Letter of Urgent Appeal concerning
the death sentence of Mr. Saber Ben
Chouchane
Central African
Republic
10 October
2025
IX.
No response
received
Response
received on 5
December 2025
No response
received
Response
received during
the 85 Ordinary
Session
Letter of Urgent Appeal regarding No response
the death of Mr. Gbiamba Ordin received
while in custody at the Landja
Mboko gendarmerie in Bangui
LETTERS OF CONCERN
52. During the period under review, the following six (6) Letters of Concern were sent
to Heads of State and Government:
23
STATE
DATE OF
LETTER
Sudan
20 January
2025
Burundi
1 July 2025
Guinea
17 October
2025
Burkina Faso
17 October
2025
Mozambique
17 October
2025
Madagascar
10 October
2025
X.
ISSUES ON WHICH THE LETTER
OF CONCERN WAS BASED
STATE
PARTY'S
RESPONSE
Letter of Concern and a Press Release No response
condemning
the
atrocities received
committed in Wad Madani, Sudan
Letter of Concern on the alleged Response
continuous detention of Mr Kenny received on 29
Claude Nduwimana, beyond his jail September 2025
term
Letter of Concern regarding the No response
abduction of Mr. Elhadj Adama received
Keïta on 25 September 2025, by
Guinean security forces in retaliation
for the activities of his journalist son,
Mamoudou Babila Keïta, now in
exile
Letter of Concern regarding the No response
disappearance, between 10 October received
and 13 October 2025, of magistrates
Urbain Méda, Benoît Zoungrana,
and Seydou Sanou; journalists
Ousseini Ilboudou and Michel Nana;
and lawyer Arnaud Sampebrè
Letter of Concern regarding No response
allegations
of
extrajudicial received
executions
and
enforced
disappearances attributed to the
defense and security forces against
individuals seeking to leave the
town of Mocímboa da Praia for
security reasons
Letter of Concern regarding recent No response
incidents
that
occurred
in received
Madagascar, marked by protests that
resulted in the deaths of twenty-two
(22) people and numerous injuries
LETTERS OF COMMENDATION
53. During the period under review, the following twenty-four (24) Letters of
Appreciation/Commendation were sent to Heads of State and Government:
STATES
DATE OF
LETTER
ISSUES ON WHICH THE LETTER OF
APPRECIATION/COMMENDATION WAS
BASED
24
Namibia
5 December 2024
South Sudan
9 December 2024
Ghana
25 December
2024
Namibia
26 December
2024
Botswana
Zimbabwe
26 December
2024
10 January 2025
Libya
20 January 2025
Sao Tome & Principe
22 January 2025
Algeria
24 January 2025
Sierra Leone
30 January 2025
The Gambia
31 January 2025
Ghana
6 February 2025
Namibia
25 March 2025
Burundi
25 March 2025
Letter congratulating Her Excellency Netumbo
Nandi-Ndaitwah on her historic election as
Namibia’s first female President
Letter on South Sudan’s accession to the 1954
Convention relating to the Status of Stateless
Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction
of Statelessness
Letter commending the election of His Excellency
John Dramani Mahama as President, and the
historic appointment of Her Excellency Jane Naana
Opoku-Agyemang as Ghana’s first female Vice
President
Letter on the election of Her Excellency Netumbo
Nandi-Ndaitwa as the fifth President of the
Republic of Namibia
Letter on the election of His Excellency Duma Boko
as the President of the Republic of Botswana
Letter on the enactment of the Death Penalty
Abolition Act [Chapter 9:26] on 31 December 2024,
abolishing the death penalty for all crimes
Joint Letter on the election of the first female Mayor
in the country's history
Letter on the historic appointment of Her
Excellency Ilza Amado Vaz as the country’s first
female Prime Minister
Letter on the re-election of His Excellency
Abdelmadjid Tebboun as the President of the
People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
Letter for various initiatives adopted to grant
citizenship to people of African descent who could
trace their ancestral heritage to the Republic of
Sierra Leone
Letter on the progress made towards the
establishment of a Special Tribunal for The Gambia
following the TRRC recommendations to prosecute
perpetrators of human rights violations
Letter for granting citizenship to 784 people of
African descent which includes 524 afrodescendants granted citizenship on 19 November
2024 through the “Beyond the Return” Program
Letter on the occasion of the inauguration and
appointment of Her Excellency Lucia Witbooi as
the first female Vice President, and the formation of
a gender balanced cabinet comprising 50% women
Letter for hosting the promotion mission to the
Republic of Burundi undertaken by the
Commission from 18 to 21 March 2025
25
Nigeria
28 April 2025
Guinea Bissau
28 April 2025
Cameroon
8 May 2025
Zimbabwe
12 May 2025
Gabon
15 June 2025
All 54 State Parties to
the African Charter
(54 Letters)
18 June 2025
Mauritania
20 June 2025
Djibouti, Burundi,
Democratic Republic
of Congo, Angola,
Liberia, and The
Gambia
Malawi
15 July 2025
Central African
Republic
31 July 2025
Letter welcoming the judgment of the Supreme
Court of Nigeria on the Freedom of Information Act
(2011), which unanimously affirmed that the Act
applies to all tiers of government, including State
institutions
Letter following the government’s announcement
that on 16 January 2025, the Council of Ministers
decided to grant Guinean nationality to 12
individuals listed in a Communiqué of the Council
of Ministers, many of whom are afro-descendants,
in addition to others who have already benefited
from previous similar initiatives
Letter on the adoption of Decree 2024/333 of 24 July
2024 on Cameroon's accession to the United
Nations Conventions relating to the Status of
Stateless Persons and on the Reduction of
Statelessness, adopted on 28 September 1954 and 30
August 1961 respectively
Letter on the accession of the Republic of
Zimbabwe to the International Convention on the
Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and
Members of their Families
Joint Letter to the President of Gabon for his
election and peaceful transition process
Letters expressing gratitude to all 54 States
Parties to the African Charter for having either
ratified the Protocol on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities and/or the Protocol on Older
Persons, or for advocating for the ratification of
both Protocols
18 July 2025
Letter regarding the regularization of the contracts
of 1,865 journalists working in Mauritania’s public
broadcasting service, which was announced by the
Council of Ministers on 11 June 2025
Joint Letter to the Presidents of the Republics of
Djibouti, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo,
Angola, Liberia, and The Gambia on signing the
African Union Convention on Ending Violence
against Women and Girls
Joint Letter welcoming the Constitutional Court’s
decision striking down Section 200 of the Penal
Code which criminalised defamation, declaring it
unconstitutional for violating freedom of
expression
Joined Letter to the Central African Republic for
ratifying the Maputo Protocol, becoming the 46th
State to have ratified
26
XI.
STATEMENTS AND PRESS RELEASES
54. During the reporting period, the Commission issued eighty-eight (88) Press
Releases on various human rights issues. These Press Releases can be consulted on
the Commission’s website: www.achpr.org.
XII.
PROMOTION AND FACT-FINDING MISSIONS
55. The Commission in collaboration with the Department of Political Affairs, Peace
and Security (DPAPS) of the African Union Commission, was mandated by the
African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) to conduct an urgent
investigation into the grave violations of human rights and international
humanitarian law in Sudan. The Joint Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) was established
by Resolution 590 (2024) of the Commission, following the outbreak of conflict on
15 April 2023. Its mandate is to investigate the nature, scope, and extent of serious
human rights and humanitarian law violations, and to make concrete
recommendations to ensure accountability and the protection of civilians. The
Mission is composed of five Commissioners of the Commission, a technical expert
from DPAPS, and legal officers from the Secretariat of the Commission.
56. Due to financial and logistical constraints, the FFM conducted its investigations
virtually from December 2024 to April 2025. Its scope covered the period from 15
April 2023, when the conflict erupted, to the date of the report’s preparation,
focusing on violations that occurred across multiple regions in Sudan. The report
was adopted by the Commission during its 84th Ordinary Session and it was
officially published on 21 October 2025, during its 85th Ordinary Session, marking
an important milestone in documenting and responding to the grave human rights
and humanitarian crisis in Sudan. The Commission subsequently adopted
Resolution ACHPR/Res-642. (LXXXV) 2025, on the Further Extension of the
Mandate of the Joint Fact-Finding Mission on the Human Rights Situation in the
Republic of the Sudan, extending the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission for six
months, to enable the conduct of an on-ground mission to the Sudan and
neighbouring countries to obtain direct first-hand accounts from refugees and
other individuals affected by the conflict in Sudan.
57. The Report of the FFM could be accessed on the website of the Commission on
www.achpr.org
58. The Commission also undertook the following Promotion Missions during the
reporting period:
i. Promotion Mission to the Republic of Seychelles, 10 to 14 March 2025;
ii. Promotion Mission to the Republic of Burundi, 18 to 21 March 2025;
27
iii. Promotion Mission to the Kingdom of Eswatini, 14 to 20 July 2025; and
iv. Promotion Mission to the Republic of Ghana, 29 September to 2 October 2025.
XIII. INSTITUTIONAL PERFORMANCE, IMPLEMENTATION
ACHIEVEMENTS, AND OPERATIONAL IMPACT
59. The 85th Ordinary Session (OS) and the 2025 operational year of the African
Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) marked one of its strongest
performance cycles in recent years, demonstrating institutional resilience and
programmatic efficiency. Out of 77 planned activities, 68 (88.3%) were completed,
1 (1.3%) remained ongoing, and 8 (10.4%) were not implemented, representing a
notable improvement over 2024. Member State-funded and internal
administrative initiatives achieved 18/18 (100%) completion, confirming
significant progress in governance, coordination, and results-based management
(RBM) maturity. The Commission further promoted inclusivity and gender
balance, engaging 1,632 participants across the 83rd to 85th Ordinary Sessions and
reaching 3,456 citizens through digital visibility efforts, a 576 percent increase in
outreach from the previous year. These achievements highlight stronger
operational efficiency, greater stakeholder engagement, and a deepened
commitment to transparency and accountability in human rights protection across
Africa.
60. Institutionally, the ACHPR advanced major reforms under AU’s Moonshot 3:
Responsive Public Institutions, with 100 percent of AMERT-aligned costed
activity targets achieved. Notable milestones included staff-wide capacitybuilding programs in Results-Based Monitoring, Risk Management, and Project
Management, benefiting over 34 staff members, and digital transformation efforts
through the Uwazi Online Library and the Electronic Case Management System
(CMS), designed to enhance accessibility and streamline case tracking. The
adoption of the ACHPR Strategic Plan 2026–2028 and its Implementation Plan
positioned the Commission to align seamlessly with Agenda 2063 and the STYIP
2024–2033 frameworks. The ACHPR also conducted four promotion missions,
advanced two treaty ratification campaigns, and received, processed, and
considered 96 communications, exceeding its protection target by 240 percent.
Collectively, these results underscore ACHPR’s growing capacity as a responsive,
evidence-driven, and digitally empowered AU organ advancing human rights
across the continent.
XIV. HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION ON THE CONTINENT
61. This section is included in the activity report in accordance with Executive Council
decision EX.CL/Dec.639 (XVIII) requesting the Commission to inform the policymaking organs of the human rights situation on the continent. The Commission's
practice is to write the content of this section from specific elements put together
during its interactions with States Parties, NHRIs enjoying Affiliate Status and
28
NGOs enjoying Observer status with the Commission during the regular Sessions
of the Commission, supplemented by other information gathered as part of its
monitoring of the human rights situation in individual States Parties during the
intersession period.
a) Positive developments
62. The Commission notes with satisfaction the following main positive developments
in human rights during the reporting period:
Ratifications:
i. The Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons in Africa has been ratified by 17
States with Uganda being the latest State to ratify it on 15 July 2025;
ii. The Protocol on Persons with Disabilities has been ratified by 17 States with
Burkina Faso being the latest State to have ratified it on 7 April 2025;
iii. The Maputo Protocol has now been ratified by 46 countries, with Central African
Republic being the latest State to have ratified it on 26 July 2025;
iv. The Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Citizens to Social Protection
and Social Security has been ratified by 2 countries namely Zimbabwe and
Uganda, with Uganda being the latest country to have ratified it on 24 July 2025;
and
v. The signing of the new African Union Convention on Ending Violence Against
Women and Girls by seven Member States (Angola, Burundi, DRC, Djibouti,
Liberia; Ghana and The Gambia).
Legislation and General Policies for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights:
i. Enactment of the National Policy on Inclusive Education as well as various other
laws by governing Fisheries and Aquaculture; Civil Registration Systems; Civil
Protection; and Personal Data Protection in Cameroon;
ii. Enactment of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act and entry into
force of the Expropriation Act 2025, by South Africa;
iii. Expropriation Act 13 of 2024 signed into law on 20 December 2024 by Zimbabwe;
iv. Adoption in May 2025 by Kenya of the Persons with Disabilities Act 2025;
v. Adoption of Law No. 19-2025 of 25 July 2025 on the Protection and Promotion
of the Rights of Older Persons by Congo;
vi. Establishment of the National Committee to Investigate Crimes and Violations
of National Law and International Humanitarian Law by the Sudan;
vii. Launch of the National Action Plan on the Rights and Welfare of People with
Albinism as well as the National Assistive Technology Strategy for People with
Disabilities in Tanzania;
viii. National Strategy for Health Security for the period 2025-2030 and preparation
of a National Plan 2025-2030, as well as the establishment of an Inter-Ministerial
Committee for Migration issues by Algeria;
ix. Amendment of the Criminal Procedure Code and Labour Code; and adoption
of an Asylum Law in Egypt;
29
x. Enactment of Law No. 13/24 of 29 August 2024, on the Crimes of Vandalism of
Public Goods and Services, in Angola;
xi. Adoption of the National Disability Plan of Action (2024–2028) and enactment
of the National Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Act of 2023 by Eswatini;
xii. Adoption of the law on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights
Defenders in Central African Republic;
xiii. The adoption of four structural laws in Senegal, aimed at strengthening
transparency, public integrity and accountability: (i) protection of whistleblowers; (ii) reform of the National Anti-Corruption Office (OFNAC); (iii) access
to information; and (iv) declaration of assets; and finalisation of the National
Action Plan on Business and Human Rights; and
xiv. Adoption in Tunisia of Law No. 2025-09 of 21 May 2025 on the organisation of
employment contracts and the prohibition of subcontracting; and
xv. Establishment by the Presidential Council of two committees in Libya, to
address security and human rights concerns, in addition to the consensus
reached on key elements of a draft law on missing persons.
Death Penalty, Extra-Judicial, Summary or Arbitrary Killings and Enforced
Disappearances in Africa:
i. Abolition of the death penalty in Zimbabwe;
ii. Increasing number of African countries voting in favour of the United Nations
General Assembly Resolution calling for a Moratorium on the use of the Death
Penalty. For instance, in December 2024, Kenya, Morocco and Zambia, which
had always abstained, voted in favour of the resolution. Gabon, Sao Tome and
Principe, Seychelles, and Somalia, which abstained or were absent in 2022,
voted in favour of the resolution;
iii. The release of journalists Kalifara Séré, James Yazid Dembélé, Luc Pagbelguem
and Boukari Ouoba who had been kidnapped and requisitioned in military
operations in Burkina Faso; and
iv. Pardon to Mr. Saber Ben Chouchane who had been sentenced to death for his
publications on facebook in Tunisa.
Prevention of Torture in Africa:
i.
Measures taken by Namibia to sanction police officers involved in acts of
torture and other ill-treatment;
ii.
Establishment of National Mechanisms for the Prevention of Torture in Benin,
Madagascar, Nigeria, and South Africa;
iii.
Amendment of the constitution in Mauritius aimed at removing older
provisions that used to undermine the absolute prohibition of torture; and
iv.
Reported prosecutions of officials for the crime of torture, or other ill treatment
and Court decisions advancing the prohibition of torture in Togo, Nigeria,
Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania, Kingdom of Eswatini, and Uganda.
Prisons, Conditions of Detention and Policing:
30
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
Inauguration of the Prisons Service Council in Ghana, mandated to oversee
reforms aimed at decongestion, improved conditions of detention, and
enhanced rehabilitation and reintegration;
Repeal of the 1956 Prisons Law through Malawi’s Prisons Act (Bill No. 8 of
2025) introducing safeguards such as a ban on child imprisonment, improved
healthcare, measures to reduce overcrowding, and access to legal
representation;
The reduction of remand prisoner population in Uganda from over 65 % to
below 47% and more than 50,000 inmates annually benefit from rehabilitation
programs;
Steps taken by Kenya in expanding the presence of the Independent Policing
Oversight Authority (IPOA) to 21 counties, enhancing the effective functioning
of the IPOA in holding police to account;
Enrollement of prisoners in the national education system in Cameroon, Ghana
and Kenya, providing prisoners acess to higher education;
The use of technology to advance vocational training conditions for prisoners
in kenya, wherein prisoners manufacture uniforms for various institutions;
Training of law enforcement officers and public security forces in Angola, on
respect for the human rights of inmates; and
Willingness of some States to transition from a punitive to a rehabilitative with
a focus on constructing modern prisons aligned with rehabilitative
philosophies and improved conditions of detention such as the new facilities
in Namibia (Hardap, Elizabeth Nepemba, and Windhoek Correctional
Centres).
Freedom of Expression & Access to Information:
i.
The enactment of national legislations to ensure the right to access to
information in twenty-nine (29) States in Africa;
ii.
The increasing adoption of data protection laws in Africa, with thirty-nine (39)
States enacting data protection laws, and thirty-four (34) States establishing
regulatory authorities to oversee compliance;
iii.
The landmark judgment adopted by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in April 2025,
which unanimously affirmed that the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2011,
applies to all tiers of government including state institution;
iv.
The provision of clearer definitions of misinformation and cyber harassment in
Kenya with the passing of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment)
Act 2025; and
v.
The regularization of the contracts of 1,865 journalists working in Mauritania’s
Public Broadcasting Service; and the Constitutional Court’s decision striking
down Section 200 of the Penal Code, which criminalizes defamation, declaring
it unconstitutional for violating freedom of expression.
31
Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
The promulgation of Law 039-2024 in Mauritania, on the establishment of the
Specialized Court to combat Slavery, Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of
Migrants;
The launch of the Shirika Plan in Kenya, a landmark initiative aimed at
integrating refugees into host communities;
Notable progress made in some States, including Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Benin,
and Senegal, where new mechanisms for recognizing statelessness have
provided legal protection to thousands of individuals;
The elimination of gender-based discrimination in nationality laws in Liberia,
Sierra Leone, and Benin, which now allows women to pass on their nationality
to their children;
The numerous voluntary returns of migrants with the assistance of the IOM
from Tunisia, Libya and Algeria to many African countries of origin; and
The adoption of Law 164 of December 2024, on Asylum by Egypt.
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights:
i.
Increase in the net primary school enrolment rate of 81% and the retention rate
at 83% in Mauritania;
ii.
Establishment of national policies that ensure food sufficiency and the
implementation of social protection programmes in Zimbabwe, such as the Food
Deficit Mitigation Programme and the School Feeding Programme;
iii.
The formalization of land ownership by Rwanda through its revised 2025
National Urbanization Policy, enhancing protections for its citizens;
iv.
Enactment of the Mental Health Act 2025 in Malawi which introduces a human
rights-based approach to mental health care in Malawi, and
v.
Introduction of universal free access to primary and secondary education in
Namibia and Sierra Leone.
Women’s Rights:
i. The historic appointment of a woman in Libya as Mayor for the first time in the
country’s history, which reflects the recognition of the crucial role women play in
governance;
ii. Educational gender gaps narrowing with near parity achieved in Kenya, Ghana,
and Botswana;
iii. Many nations have enacted progressive laws against gender-based violence and
child marriage, including that Malawi, Zambia, The Gambia and Mali have raised
the legal marriage age;
iv. Adoption by Sierra Leone of the FY2025 Gender Budget Statement, which
signifies the government’s commitment to integrating gender perspectives into
its financial planning and decision-making processes;
v. The achievement of a 50% gender balanced cabinet in Namibia and the historic
election and appointment of female Heads of State and high-level political offices,
such as the election of Her Excellency Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as the first
32
female President and Her Excellency Lucia Witbooi as the first female VicePresident in Namibia; and the appointment of Her Excellency Ilza Amado Vaz as
the first female Prime Minister in Sao Tome and Principe; and
vi. Lifting of the reservation on Article 15(4) of the CEDAW Convention by Algeria.
Human Rights Defenders:
i. Release of some human rights defenders in custody in Congo, Uganda and
Tunisia;
ii. The appointment of a representative of civil society to the Committee for the
Protection of Human Rights Defenders in the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire;
iii. Establishment by Kenya of the Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of
Demonstrations and Public Protests between the period 2017 to 2025; and
iv. The decision of the Administrative Court of Douala, Cameroon, handed down on
September 19, 2025, ordering the removal of the seals affixed to the premises
housing the REDHAC offices, since 6 December 2024.
Protection of the Rights of People Living with HIV and those at Risk, Vulnerable to
and Affected by HIV in Africa:
i. Several African countries have made progress in aligning national laws and
policies with international human rights standards, including the
decriminalization of HIV transmission and improved legal protections for PLHIV
and key populations;
ii. South Africa maintained large-scale treatment programs, with over 7.7 million
people receiving ARVs and Botswana’s leading efforts to eliminate mother-tochild transmission; and
iii. The SADC Regional Strategy (2024–2030) and initiatives like UNDP’s SCALE
Grant empowers key populations to lead advocacy and service delivery,
improving access and reducing stigma.
Older Persons and Persons with Disabilities:
i. Significant strides made in Seychelles, in recognising the rights of persons with
disabilities through the Disability Inclusion in the Media, for crisis
preparedness, promoting inclusive communication and better representation of
persons with disabilities; and
ii. Proactive initiatives in Cote d’Ivoire where in June 2025, a young disabled
person was granted all conditions to undergo his academic exams from his
hospital room.
Indigenous Populations/Communities
i. Growing regional and global visibility of Indigenous rights including the
coherent AU–ACHPR messaging on 9 August 2025; stronger UN coordination
(UN SRIP, UNPFII); and active diaspora engagement through the Silicon Valley
African Film Festival as well as, engagement with the Forum of African
Traditional Leaders (Eswatini, 5–9 Sep 2025) established a continental Network
of Traditional Leaders.
33
Conflict Situations and Transitional Justice:
i. The progress registered towards the operationalisation of the Commission for
Truth, Reconciliation and Healing (CTRH) in South Sudan with the submission
from various sectors of society, nominees of the Selection Panel responsible for
South Sudanese members of the CTRH;
ii. The establishment of a Special Tribunal for The Gambia following the TRRC
recommendations to prosecute perpetrators of human rights violations; and
iii. Development and implementation of National Action Plans (NAPs) to localize the
Women Peace and Security agenda by Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Côte
d’Ivoire, Mali, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
b) Areas of Concern
63. However, the Commission remains concerned about the following negative human
rights developments during the reporting period:
Ratification:
i.
The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights relating to
the Specific Aspects of the Right to a Nationality and Eradication of Statelessness
in Africa, has not been signed or ratified by any state almost two years after its
adoption;
ii.
The low ratesof ratification of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and
Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Citizens to Social Protection and Social Security;
and the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data
Protection;
iii.
Zero ratification of the African Union Convention on Ending Violence Against
Women and Girls (AUCEVAWG);
iv.
8 Member States are yet to ratify the Maputo Protocol and the OAU Convention
Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa to achieve
universal ratification;
v.
21 States are yet to ratify the African Union Convention for the Protection and
Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa; and
vi.
38 States are yet to ratify the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of
Older Persons in Africa; and the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities in Africa.
Death Penalty, Extra-Judicial, Summary or Arbitrary Killings and Enforced
Disappearances in Africa:
i. Allegations of extrajudicial killings of civilians by security forces in Burkina
Faso, Chad, Angola, Mozambique, Central African Republic and Congo;
ii. Allegations of enforced disappearances in Burkina Faso, Tanzania, the DRC,
Guinea, Mali, Uganda, and Kenya;
34
iii. The persistence of inter-community violence in Chad, resulting in heavy loss of
lives; and
iv. The high number of death sentences handed down in the DRC.
Prevention of Torture:
i.
Lack of independent mechanisms to receive and investigate complaints of
torture and other ill-treatment remains a significant gap in many States;
ii.
The failure of some States to conduct prompt, thorough, independent, and
impartial investigations into allegations of torture and ill treatment;
iii.
Additional 7 State Parties listed as non-compliant under Article 17 of OPCAT in
establishing National Preventive Mechanisms i.e Burundi, Central African
Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, and South
Sudan; and
iv.
Widespread torture and other cruel treatment in Sudan, including in “ghost
sites”, improvised detention centres, the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese
Armed Forces reportedly engaged in systematic acts of rape, enslavement, and
executions, often filming these abuses as tools of terror and humiliation.
Prisons, Conditions of Detention & Policing
i. Incidents at Montagne Posée Prison which led to deaths and injuries, revealing
systemic issues in detention oversight in Seychelles;
ii. Reports of detention of minors and protesters, some facing treason charges,
following peaceful demonstrations in Nigeria;
iii. The use of force to disperse a peaceful demonstration against slavery in
Nouakchott, Mauritania, in February 2025;
iv. The use of lethal force to disperse the King Joy Workers' meeting in Liberia; and
the use of force to suppress demonstrations, resulting in loss of lives and arbitrary
arrests and detention, particularly in Kenya and Angola;
v. The arbitrary arrest and detention of trade union activists in Côte d'Ivoire;
vi. Overcrowding in prisons on the continent, sometimes exceeding the required
capacity by three or four times;
vii. The death in custody of Mr EKANE Anicet Goerges aged 74, in Cameroon;
viii. The minimum age of criminal responsibility in some countries of 12 and 13
years old, contrary to the provisions of the African Charter on the Rights and
Welfare of the Child;
ix. The failure of some States to establish an external oversight mechanism for the
activities of law enforcement officers and public security forces, as suggested by
regional instruments such as the Model Police Act in Africa.
Freedom of Expression & Access to Information:
i. Recurring reports of journalists being harassed, attacked and detained while
reporting on election-related events;
ii. A marked rise in reports of abductions and enforced disappearance of journalists,
in addition to recent reports of forced conscription of journalists in Burkina Faso;
35
iii. Inconsistency of aspects of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment)
Act in Kenya, most notably provisions permitting the blocking of websites and
other communication platforms without court authorization; and
iv. The dissolution of the National Authority for Access to Information (INAI) in
Tunisia, in August 2025.
Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons:
i. Reduction of funding for humanitarian assistance programs and severe budget
cuts in the humanitarian sector affecting refugees, asylum seekers, and other
displaced persons; in Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Somalia, and Ethiopia;
ii. The number of internally displaced persons in Sudan and Democratic Republic of
Congo nearing 8 million in each country, one of the world’s largest internal
displacement crises, with massive displacements and mounting challenges, such
as the spread of the Mpox epidemic; a sharp increase in sexual and gender-based
violence; overcrowding in often informal camps, disastrous living conditions, no
access to social and economic rights, particularly education and healthcare;
iii. Incidents of xenophobia, discrimination, hate speech and anti-immigrant rhetoric,
in addition to physical and psychological violence against migrants in many
African countries; and the increasing number of missing migrants, including
women and children, on migration routes in Africa or to other regions,
particularly to Europe or the Gulf States;
iv. The humanitarian situation of long-term refugees across the continent,
particularly that of Sahrawi refugees, which has persisted for more than half a
century and is one of the longest-running refugee crises in the world, with a
population that remains dependent on international aid in a context of chronic
underfunding, despite sustained humanitarian effort;
v. The challenges in registering refugees and asylum seekers, particularly in certain
East African States, as well as restrictions on freedom of movement and the
issuance of exit permits and travel documents, thereby hindering the socioeconomic inclusion of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants of host societies;
and
vi. The externalization of migration management through various agreements
leading to violations of the fundamental rights of migrants and asylum seekers.
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights:
i.
Environmental degradation and toxic lead contamination in Kabwe, Zambia,
resulting in concerns about corporate impunity and the health rights of affected
communities;
ii.
The low level of integration of human rights into national education systems in
some countries with the lack of teaching resources adapted to African contexts,
and the insufficient training of teachers and public actors in human rights
education;
36
iii.
iv.
Many African countries still face challenges related to historical patterns of land
ownership, where certain groups have disproportionately high access to land;
and
The state of health systems across the continent, more so, the recurrence of
infectious diseases such as Ebola and Mpox.
Women’s Rights:
i.
The situation for women and girls in South Sudan amidst the ongoing crisis
including reports of food insecurity and projections indicating 7.69 million
during the lean season (April-July 2025); 1.11 million pregnant or breastfeeding
women facing acute malnutrition; over 70% of children are out of school with
girls being the majority; maternal mortality remains highly linked to limited
healthcare access, and teenage pregnancy is alarmingly high at 34.5%; access to
essential sexual and reproductive health services is also severely limited;
ii.
Increasing cases of femicide and gender-based violence against women and the
low rate of prosecution of perpetrators of these heinous crimes;
iii.
Backlash against the rights of women, girls, and the broader women’s rights
movement on the continent as evidenced by the alarming levels of sexual
gender-based violence (SGBV) and conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV)
targeting women and girls; and
iv.
Alarming patterns of violence with impunity in several countries, including the
tragic FGM-related death of an infant in The Gambia; abductions and sexual
violence against schoolgirls in South Sudan, and the brutal femicide of Rosina
Hara in Malawi.
Human Rights Defenders:
i.
The promulgation of the Private Voluntary Organisations Act No. 1/2025 in
Zimbabwe, with some amendments likely to restrict civic space;
ii.
Suspension of civil society organizations and their activities in some countries;
including suspension for several weeks of the activities of NGOs working with
migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Libya; and
iii.
The absence of specific legislation and other legal mechanisms to protect human
rights defenders in some countries; and
iv.
The persistence of legislative frameworks and legal restrictions that severely
hamper the work of civil society associations and organisations in certain states;
Protection of the Rights of People Living with HIV and those at Risk, Vulnerable to
and Affected by HIV in Africa:
i. The US government's decision to freeze foreign aid, (including PEPFAR and
USAID), which led to significant concerns about the impact on HIV/AIDS
programs in Africa, particularly a substantial increase in HIV infections and
AIDS-related deaths; and disrupted HIV services across East and Southern Africa,
leading to layoffs, reduced ARV supplies, and halted PrEP (Pre-Exposure
Prophylaxis), and PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis), programs;
37
ii. Key populations, such as persons subjected to human rights violations based on
their real or imputed sexual orientation or gender identity, sex workers, and
people who use drugs, continue to face legal and social barriers that hinder access
to care; and
iii. Access to PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis), PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis),
and emerging HIV prevention vaccines remains uneven, especially in rural and
marginalized communities with disruptions in supply chains and lack of
domestic production capacity exacerbating the issue.
Older Persons and Persons with Disabilities:
i. Older persons continue to suffer from stigma and ill-treatment across Africa,
including in Central African Republic, Ghana and Nigeria where the predicament
of victims was triggered by accusations of practicing witchcraft; and
ii. Accessibility is a real challenge for persons with disability across Africa as
adaptation is yet to be fully done for existing infrastructure and environments,
while new construction projects and programmes do not systematically include
accessibility measures.
Indigenous Populations and Minorities in Africa:
i. Discrimination of Indigenous peoples in the exercise of their rights, particularly
in relation to land tenure and access to resources;
ii. Gaps in disaggregated data on Indigenous and minority populations affecting
policy and accountability; with persistent undercounting and poor data, continue
to hinder visibility of Indigenous and minority populations; and
iii. The principle of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) and meaningful
participation have continued to be a challenge, suggesting that FPIC is treated as
a mere formality rather than a genuine engagement with communities.
Extractive Industries and the Environment
i. Desertification, soil and land degradation as one of the most pressing
environmental challenges affecting parts of the continent, threatening ecosystems,
livelihoods and the conditions for survival of communities;
ii. The widespread water and environmental contamination from illegal gold mining
in Ghana, known in local parlance as ‘galampsy’ which resulted in the
contamination of 60% of water sources in Ghana, making it the most pressing
national crisis;
iii. The continuing adverse impacts of the environmental disaster occasioned in
Zambia following the collapse of a dam containing waste from the Sino-Metals
Leach Zambia copper mine in February 2025; and
iv. The inadequacy of laws and institutions regulating activities affecting the
environment, including the lack of enforceable standards for corporate
accountability, impediments to access to justice and lack or remedies and
guarantees for consultation and participation of affected communities.
Peace & Security, Transitional Justice & Conflict Situation
38
i. Despite the 25th anniversary of UNSCR 1325, women remain severely
underrepresented in formal peace processes and security institutions, and conflictrelated sexual violence remains a pervasive and systematic tactic of war, with
survivors facing stigma and a lack of justice;
ii. Elections continue to be a trigger causing pre and post electoral violence leading to
conflict in many African countries; and unconstitutional changes of government
remain a concern in a number of countries which leads to serious and massive
human rights violations perpetrated against the civilian populations;
iii. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by the conflict in Sudan, with
sexual violence being used as a tactic of war, with a marked increase in genderbased violence, including rape, sexual slavery, and trafficking being used as
weapons of war; and
iv. Slow justice in Seychelles, in the implementation of the recommendations of the
Truth, Reconciliation, and National Unity Commission (TRNUC), for addressing
historical human rights abuses, including torture and disappearances, through
reparations.
XV.
RECOMMENDATIONS
64. In view of the foregoing, the Commission makes the following recommendations:
a) To States Parties:
i.
ii.
iii.
Signature, ratification and domestication of the Protocol to the African
Charter on the Rights of Citizens to Social Protection and Social Security; the
Protocol to the African Charte ron the Rights of Older Persons; Protocol to the
African Charte ron the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; Protocol on Right
to Nationality and Eradication of Statelessness in Africa; African Union
Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection; the Protocol to
the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa; the African Union
Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons
in Africa; OAU Convention of 1969 on refugees in Africa, African Union
Convention on the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls; in
addition to other relevant regional and international human rights treaties’;
Observation of a moratorium on the use of the death penalty, in accordance
with Resolution ACHPR/Res.42(XXVI)99, where the death penalty still
exists, suspension of the execution of prisoners sentenced to death and
commute their sentences to lesser penalties, and support efforts to adopt the
draft Protocol to the African Charter on the Abolition of the Death Penalty;
Revision of national legislations to protect individuals from enforced
disappearances, torture and other ill-treatment by prohibiting secret
detention, prolonged isolation and criminalizing the use of secret or
unauthorized detention centres, in accordance with the Robben Island
Guidelines, the Convention against Torture (UNCAT) and OPCAT;
39
iv.
Prioritize accountability for abuses committed by security forces, including
arbitrary detentions and excessive use of force, establish independent
oversight mechanisms, facilitate human rights training for security personnel,
and ensure that victims have access to legal recourse;
v. Create employment opportunities and ensure access to education, housing
and shelter for all, including the most disadvantaged and vulnerable in
society; and take measures to ensure access to water, sanitation and other
basic health care necessities to the public, as conditions for safeguaring health
and life;
vi. Ensure all National Development Plans, including monitoring and evaluation
mechanisms of such plans, are human rights-driven and take into account
their obligations under the African Charter, Agenda 2063 and the 2030
Sustainable Development Goals;
vii. Recognize the rights of indigenous peoples, ensuring their participation in
decision-making processes and work in partnership with them to achieve
sustainable development;
viii. Provide sustainable, direct, and flexible core funding to women-led and
women's rights organizations, and to classify GBV and SRHR services as nonnegotiable components of all emergency and development budgets;
ix. Ensure the meaningful participation of women at all levels of peace and
security processes, allocate dedicated funding for National Action Plans, and
strengthen laws and support systems to protect women and girls in conflict
settings;
x. Ensure that refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons and
stateless persons enjoy all their human rights, including their economic and
social rights and certain freedoms within the framework of national laws, by
implementing Resolution 565(2023) of the Commission on the inclusion of the
latter in national plans, while respecting the principles of the Geneva
Conventions and the OAU Convention on the Protection of Refugees, which
enshrine the fundamental principle of non-refoulement and the prohibition of
collective expulsions;
xi. Increase the amounts allocated to humanitarian aid for refugees, asylum
seekers, and internally displaced persons, and operationalize the African
Humanitarian Agency (AHA);
xii. Adopt legislation on the right to access to information and establish
Independent Oversight Mechanisms mandated to monitor implementation of
the national legislation;
xiii. Take appropriate measures to avoid the use of force during peaceful
demonstrations and refrain from adopting repressive laws that restrict civic
space and the legitimate activities of human rights defenders in promoting
and defending human rights;
xiv. Strengthen domestic financing and health system resilience by increasing
health budget allocations, reduce dependency on foreign aid, and invest in
local pharmaceutical production to ensure sustainable access to HIV services;
and prioritise tailored interventions to ensure equitable access to ARVs, PrEP
40
(Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis), PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis), and
prevention tools;
xv. Issue an open and permanent authorization for the Commission to visit
prisons or detention centres, and to decide which prisons to visit;
xvi. Regular robust inspection of environmental standard compliance and human
rights due diligence measures including but not limited to the storage and
disposal of mining waste by mining companies in Africa; and adopt and
enforce legal and institutional frameworks that hold corporations accountable
for environmental harm and human rights violations, in extractive industries
xvii. Undertake comprehensive sensitisation programmes and campaigns aiming
at eliminating the stigma associated to older persons and persons with
disabilities;
xviii. Systematically include accessibility to any new construction project and
continue to work on ensuring that existing infrastructures and environments
are adapted to the needs of persons with disabilities;
xix. Urge all parties to armed conflicts to cease hostilities immediately and
unconditionally, and to comply fully with International Humanitarian Law
(IHL) and International Human Rights Law (IHRL), particularly in relation to
civilian protection, the prohibition of arbitrary detention, and respect for due
process;
xx. Move beyond tokenism to ensure the substantive inclusion of youth as
valuable partners in governance and implement policies, in line with the
African Youth Charter; and
xxi. Continue to extend standing invitations for promotion and fact-finding
missions, submit periodic reports timely, and implement the Commission’s
recommendations and all soft documents.
b) To the PRC:
i.
ii.
XVI.
Provide decisive logistical, financial, and structural support to the ACHPR,
with particular emphasis on resolving critical staffing shortages; and
Establish formal dialogue mechanisms and designated focal points between
Member States and the Commission to fortify working relations.
ADMINISTRATIVE
COMMISSION
AND
FINANCIAL
SITUATION
OF
THE
a) Staffing
65. The Commission’s Secretariat currently has a total of fifty-two (52) headcount,
made up of thirty-one (31) staff on regular contracts while twenty-one (21) are
made up of secondments from Member States of the African Union, AU
Volunteers, Technical Assistants, Interns and Researchers. The Commission is
currently working with the Directorate of Human Resources Management to
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recruit five positions which are replacements (i.e. Senior Legal Officer, Driver,
Receptionist, Interpreter and Legal Officer). Nevertheless, the ACHPR continues
to experience insufficient staffing, despite several Executive Council decisions
calling for the establishment of a structure that aligns with its expanded mandates
over the years.
66. AU EX.CL Council Decisions EX.CL/Dec.995 (XXXII) (2018), EX.CL/Dec.
1080(XXXVI) (2020), EX.CL 1196, EX.CL. 1244, EX.CL1284 and EX.CL/Dec.
11(XLIV) (2024) are among the Policy Organs’ directives calling for the allocation
of adequate human resources, including the filling and funding of vacant posts in
the current structure as applicable and the review of the current structure to align
with its expanded responsibilities and relevant audit recommendations. Since the
inauguration of the ACHPR, many Units within the Secretariat have either had no
staff at all or have operated as one-person Units. Consequently, the Secretariat
faces a severe staffing deficit, which adversely affects its daily operations.
67. The current structure of the ACHPR’s Secretariat was last updated and approved
in 2009. In accordance with the foregoing Executive Council Decisions, the
Secretariat submitted a revised structure to the AU Organs in 2022. This optimal
structure proposal recommended a staff complement of one hundred and fifty-six
(156) positions, in contrast to the forty-six (46) positions approved in 2009.
However, following the directive of Member States during the sittings of the PRC
Sub-Committee including on rationalization, and working accordingly with the
Reforms Unit and the Directorate for Human Resources, the number of proposed
positions was reduced to the bare minimum needs of the ACHPR of ninety (90)
positions, down from the original 156. The 44 additional positions requested
correspond to new roles and functions essential for the effective implementation
of ACHPR’s expanded mandate and also address recurring audit
recommendations concerning segregation of duties and the absence of critical
roles that are required for full compliance with AU governance standards—
especially in the areas of finance, procurement, risk management, and monitoring
and evaluation. The structure has been costed and is requested to be implemented
in 5 phases.
68. It is respectfully recalled that the ACHPR is the oldest Organ of the AU, with a
mandate that extends across nearly the entire continent. It plays a vital role in
advancing, among other priorities, Aspirations 3, 4, and 6 of Agenda 2063, as well
as Moonshots 3, 4, and 6 of the Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan.
69. Regrettably, unlike many of the AU’s more recently established Organs and
institutions, its structure has not been adequately reviewed or aligned with its
evolving mandate. Addressing this long-standing gap—consistent with directives
of the Policy Organs and audit recommendations—is the purpose of the structure
review request within the broader institutional reform process.
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70. We respectfully request that this revised proposal be considered and implemented
in a phased manner, taking into account budgetary constraints.
XVII. IMPLEMENTATION OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL DECISIONS
a) Joint Retreat between the Commission and the PRC
71. Following
Executive Council Decisions EX.CL/Dec.995 (2018) and
EX.CL/Dec.1045 (2019), and the Joint Retreats of the ACHPR and Member States
in 2018 and 2023, better cooperation is being forged between ACHPR and Member
States in advancing human rights promotion and protection on our continent,
especially through the PRC Sub-Committee on Human Rights, Democracy, and
Governance (HRDG Subcommittee). The ACHPR has also briefed the HRDG
Subcommittee as well as the AU Peace and Security Council and contributed to
their deliberations. The ACHPR will benefit from a dedicated budget line by
Member States to be able to convene in the minimum, similar retreats with
Member States, once every two years.
b) Pre-session State Forum
72. The ACHPR organized the 2nd Pre-Session Forum of States to the African Charter
on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Banjul from 19 to 20 October 2025, ahead of its
85st Ordinary Session in line with EX.CL/1045(XXXIV) and EX.CL/1065(XXXV).
The Pre session forum was attended by representatives from thirty (30) member
states, and the ACHPR hereby uses this platform to encourage member states who
have not done so, to participate in the next Pre session Forum.
c) Building of the Commission’s headquarters
73. The process for constructing the Commission’s headquarters in The Gambia is
underway, as per Executive Council Decision 1045. As previously reported, a
foundation-laying ceremony was held at the designated site in October 2022, and
the tile document was subsequently obtained in the name of the African Union
and deposited with the AUC in 2024. The building design has also been finalized
by engineers from both the AUC and the Host Government, however,
construction has not yet begun due to unavailability of funding. The ACHPR
leadership and its Secretariat continue to engage with the Host Government and
AUC Leadership regarding the urgent need to commence construction of the
Commission’s headquarters. The ACHPR hopes that the project will be completed
before its 40th Anniversary in 2027.
74. In the meantime, the Host Government has proposed a temporary alternative
office building with more office space to accommodate the Secretariat until the
permanent headquarters are ready. Financial support from the Host Government
will be required to finalize and equip this interim office. The status of the
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permanent headquarters project will continue to feature regularly in the
Commission’s activity reports to the AU Policy Organs, in line with previous
directives.
XVIII. CHALLENGES
75. Human resources remain a major challenge for the ACHPR in fulfilling its
mandate. The current staffing levels leave the team overloaded and overworked,
which negatively affects staff wellbeing. ACHPR continues to advocate for the
adoption of a minimum staffing requirement, which has been objectively
identified as 90 positions. The current structure provides for only 46 positions;
therefore, 44 additional positions are required, after every effort at rationalization.
76. The shortage outlined above not only affects the Commission’s operations and
staff wellbeing but has also attracted audit attention due to associated risks, such
as inadequate segregation of duties and difficulties in ensuring compliance.
Several AU Executive Council Decisions — including the above-stated — have
emphasized the need for a comprehensive review of the Commission’s staffing
structure and directed the PRC to expedite budget provisions to fill the 12 vacant
and unfunded positions in the current structure.
77. Additionally, the Secretariat’s lack of a permanent headquarters undermines its
access to adequate office and meeting facilities and increases operational costs for
Sessions and other meetings. Despite being one of the oldest organs of the AU,
ACHPR still does not have its own purpose-built office after more than 35 years
of existence. External and internal audit reports, as well as security assessments,
have all indicated that the building currently used as the Commission’s
headquarters falls below AU standards and poses various risks. The Host
Government is currently seeking financial support to fund the construction and
requires the support of the AU.
78. Budget constraints also persist, with only 50.2% of the Commission’s projected
required annual budget of USD 580,000 currently available from Member States.
As a result, nearly half of ACHPR’s financial needs for the full and effective
implementation of its mandate are unavailable. Although the AUC advised the
resubmission of special budget requests to address this shortfall—particularly for
key projects—there has been no response to date regarding the additional funding
requests.
79. Furthermore, since the COVID-19 pandemic, the budget allocated for the
Commission’s statutory sessions has not significantly improved, leaving the
Commission without the necessary funds to hold in-person sessions. It was only
through an approved supplementary budget and support from the Host
Government that the Commission was able to convene its 85th Ordinary Session
in-person, which would otherwise have been impossible. This challenge is
44
compounded by the absence of offers from other States Parties to host the
Commission’s sessions.
80. Medical Facilities: In September 2025, the Banjul Commission lost one of its staff
members while on mission. This incidence brought to fore again the persisting
challenges for staff in accessing good medical care at the duty station. Related
assessments and reports over time by the medical services and health directorate
of the AU, are on record. The Commission therefore humbly requests that, like
similar AU Organs and Regional Offices, it should be supported to have access to
a dedicated medical facility within its Secretariat to handle medical emergencies
and related health matters.
XIX.
DATES OF THE 86th AND 87th ORDINARY SESSIONS OF THE
COMMISSION
81. The dates of the 86th and 87th Ordinary Sessions of the Commission will be
announced in due course.
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