Human rights and security in Africa are at a cross path. In almost every country in the continent, the two issues are colliding and in most cases, it is human rights that are bearing the brunt of over securitisation of communities and excessive use of force by security personnel.
Whether it is during elections, agitation for land tenure, mining or even communal and domestic issues, Africa is increasingly giving up human rights guarantees in the guise of enhancing security.
As a result, the human rights situation has drastically deteriorated with increasing reports of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, violent extremism, political impunity, sexual- and gender-based violence as well as the use of children as soldiers.
In East Africa — Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda —police have in the last few years been accused of using excessive force in dealing with citizens, which has led to high number of killings being reported.
In Southern Africa, rise of violent extremism and mismanagement of public order in Mozambique and South Africa respectively point to worrying trends that are increasingly leading to gross human rights violations.
In Central and West Africa, use of children as soldiers as well as enforced disappearances have left many communities dismayed and without their loved ones. In almost all corners of the continent, human rights are violated with impunity and little is being done to hold those responsible to account.
To address these human rights issues and restore dignity to the Africans, there is need for concerted efforts to mobilise communities and empower them to understand and defend their rights.
The continent must stand up for human rights and respect for fundamental freedoms as a way of guaranteeing the right to security for all. Through local community human rights groups in all countries, networks for the agitation of rights, rule of law and accountability must now emerge.
These networks will give voices to community activists and leaders to demand for the rights of their people. When the people are empowered to stand for their rights, they will force the leadership towards restoration of human rights and security across the continent.
It is these efforts that grassroots human rights organisations should now concentrate on throughout the continent. True Pan-Africanism can only be achieved when communities are empowered to come together and chat their own destiny.
Time is now ripe for various grassroots networks across the continent to share their challenges and find ways of coordinating their efforts for a free and just Africa.
Engaging the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Union Commission must now be a priority so that these institutions can play their rightful role of supporting civil liberties and fundamental freedoms.
Periodic state of human rights reports should be submitted to ACHPR and AU for their action. Consolidation of the different efforts of human rights practitioners becomes a priority to build a continental network for human rights and security accountability.
Kenya must position itself well in this new uprising for Africa human rights. The civil society in the country should take lead in establishing a continental grassroot movement for human rights and security accountability.
Being one of the most vocal civil society sectors in Africa, Kenya’s grassroots human rights defenders, who promote and protect human rights and rule of law in their communities, must rally colleagues in other countries for joint initiatives to realise Pan-African human rights.
In Kenya, the network should identify priority issues and agree on strategies to advocate at the continental level. African states, too, must be convinced to consider and work with civil society to promote and protect human rights and security across the continent.
In the next few days, Kenya’s leading activists will meet to explore possibilities of initiating a continental movement for human rights and security.
They will include gender rights activists, human rights defenders, community mobilisers and social rights campaigners. Joining them will be key state institutions and renowned human rights defenders who have excelled in their efforts.
The time has come for Africa to rise. The time has come for Kenya to take lead in the Africa uprising.
