Petition to AU to Relocate African Commission
A group non-governmental organizations (NGOs) involved in the work of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights have written to The Commission of the African Union chariperson, Jean Ping, to request the African Union to remove the Headquarters of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights from the Gambia. The basis for this request is the personally communicated threat by the President of The Gambia, Col. A.J.J Jammeh (Rtd), to kill all human rights defenders who enter The Gambia.
H.E. Jean Ping
Chairperson, Commission of the African Union
Addis , Ababa, Ethiopia
Dear Chairperson Ping,
We the Undersigned non-governmental organizations (NGOs) involved in the work of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights respectfully write to request the African Union to remove the Headquarters of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights from the Gambia. The basis for this request is the personally communicated threat by the President of The Gambia, Col. A.J.J Jammeh (Rtd), to kill all human rights defenders who enter The Gambia. We reproduce below the text of the threat by President Jammeh:
I will kill anyone, who wants to destabilize this country. If you think that you can collaborate with so called human rights defenders, and get away with it, you must be living in a dream world. I will kill you, and nothing will come out of it. We are not going to condone people posing as human rights defenders to the detriment of the country. If you are affiliated with any human rights group, be rest assured that your security and personal safety would not be guaranteed by my Government. We are ready to kill saboteurs.” (Italics supplied)
This declaration by President Jammeh leads us to fear for the safety, security, and lives of ourselves and our colleagues who have to work with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, whose headquarters is in Banjul, The Gambia.
Quite apart from violating the right to life in Article 4 of the African charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the assurance by President Jammeh that his Government will not guarantee the security and personal safety of human rights defenders visiting the country clearly and unilaterally repudiates the basic obligation assumed by The Gambia in the Headquarters Protocol between the African Union and the State of The Gambia to guarantee the safety and security of the Members and personnel of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights as well as all users of the Commission.
In the circumstances, the location of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Banjul can no longer be justified. Until this petition is credibly addressed, we also request that the Commission should stop holding any Sessions in Banjul or in any other location in The Gambia.
In the interim, the Undersigned NGOs hereby announce that they will forthwith cease any further participation Sessions or activities of the Commission in The Gambia.
Yours Faithfully