Last month, a member of my team, Jade Dussart, took part in the NGO Forum organised in Banjul from 28 to 30 April 2025 by the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies, ahead of the 83rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
It was an important opportunity for my mandate to hear directly from human rights defenders coming from all corners of Africa about the challenges they face in their work. I want to congratulate the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies for organising such a successful event.
I was very impressed to hear about the amazing work the event’s participants are carrying out in their respective countries, on a wide range of crucial issues: civil and political rights, peacebuilding, women’s rights, environmental and climate justice, the rights of migrants, the rights of those engaged in sex work and prostitution, marginalised communities, people with disability, LGBTQI+ rights, social and cultural rights, contemporary forms of slavery, freedom of expression, etc.
Discussions also underlined the central role women human rights defenders and women-led initiatives continue to play in advancing reparations and justice for human rights violations. We heard from widows in Mauritania seeking justice for extrajudicial killings and other grave human rights violations against Afro-Mauritanians in the 1980s and 1990s. Young WHRDs continue to be at the forefront of social movements – from Sudan in 2019 to Kenya in 2024.
Participants mentioned a few positive advances in their respective countries, including the recent adoption of a law to protect human rights defenders in the Central African Republic.
However, most of the HRDs present also reported encountering persisting challenges in their peaceful work. Across the continent, many countries share similar tactics of repression against civil society. There was repeated mention of how dissenting voices, including human rights defenders, are being silenced, especially in the context of upcoming elections. We heard how anti-terrorism and cybercrime laws are widely used against HRDs. Many raised the impact of funding disruptions on NGO activities, while highlighting the resilience of African civil society in the face of such pressure.
Across Western Africa, human rights defenders described a hostile environment shaped by threats and intimidation, growing criminalisation, lack of legal protection and restrictions on public gatherings, while civic spaces are being restricted by laws on cybersecurity, terrorism and money laundering. In Benin, HRDs and journalists critical of the authorities face criminalisation, with restrictions on their freedoms of expression and association. With upcoming legislative and presidential elections in 2026, defenders expressed concern about further repression. In Togo, restrictions on freedom of expression have led to prison sentences for defamation. In Sierra Leone, despite a favourable legal framework, peaceful protest remains restricted. A woman human rights defender working on violations linked to the diamond mining industry described the risks of violence and physical attacks she and others face, leading to self-censorship and fear. In Côte d’Ivoire, freedom of peaceful assembly is restricted. Teachers and students have been arrested during protests, and journalists fined for reporting on corruption. Across the Sahel region (including Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Chad), the environment for HRDs is marked by impunity and the collapse of the rule of law, with risks of enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, criminalisation, threats and intimidation.
Human rights defenders in Central Africa are highly vulnerable to attacks, arrests, threats and reprisals. The most exposed are those working on civil and political rights, democracy, the environment, the extractive industry, as well as WHRDs and LGBTQI+ rights defenders. In Cameroon, several NGOs working on socio-cultural and women’s rights had their activities suspended in late 2024. HRDs described harassment, threats, and even raids on NGO offices. With presidential elections coming up in October 2025, there are concerns that such violations might continue. In Gabon, human rights defenders reported a rise in attacks against HRDs. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, despite the existence of a legal framework for HRD protection, defenders continue to be targeted. Physical attacks and death threats against defenders in the Kivus dramatically increased since the end of 2024, with grave violations committed by armed groups. In contrast, the Central African Republic adopted a law on the promotion and protection of HRDs in December 2024 – a welcome development. In Angola, peaceful protesters, student activists, labour activists and journalists face violence and repression.
Human rights defenders from Eastern Africa spoke of escalating repression. NGO bans, restrictive laws and state-sponsored harassment are widespread, as well as attacks on freedom of expression and association. In Burundi, which is entering two successive election periods (2025 and 2027), civic space has been closing since 2010. Human rights defenders have faced killing, disappearance or forced exile. Many continue to be criminalised for their human rights work. In Uganda, environmental, climate change and LGBTQI+ rights defenders face increasing crackdowns. In Ethiopia, defenders spoke of smear campaigns, harassment and forced exile. Eritrea remains the largest jailer of journalists in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the government continues to suppress fundamental freedoms. In Djibouti, HRDs face restricted civic space and limited access to information. Defenders in Kenya described a climate of fear and self-censorship. LGBTQI+ rights defenders in particular shared how their spaces were not only shrinking, but being taken away entirely. In Tanzania, defenders raised concerns in the lead-up to the 2025 elections. In Mozambique, laws on terrorism funding and foreign funding are severely impacting human rights organisations. Police violence against civil society and journalists is rarely investigated, and defenders face arbitrary arrest. In Madagascar, HRDs risk being labelled as troublemakers or enemies of the State.
Across Southern Africa, human rights defenders, whistleblowers and LGBTQI+ communities are facing violence and repression. Arbitrary arrests, torture, hate crimes and attacks on freedoms of expression and association are widespread. In South Africa, defenders mourned the recent killings of Muhsin Hendricks, the country’s first openly gay imam, and Pamela Mabini, a whistleblower and WHRD, both in 2025. LGBTQI+ defenders are particularly marginalised and at risk of hate crimes such as corrective rape. In Zimbabwe, HRDs face arrest and torture, with an intensifying crackdown on LGBTQI+ rights defenders. In Eswatini, authorities are cracking down on trade union leaders and activists, while police raids and arbitrary arrests are used to silence all human rights defenders. In Zambia, the cybercrimes and cybersecurity bills are facing criticisms for posing significant threats to human rights work.
In Northern Africa, systematic repression continues and freedom of expression is routinely criminalised. Governments use vague laws about terrorism, fake news or public morality to stifle criticism, and judicial systems are regularly misused to target HRDs. Human rights defenders working on migrants’ rights in particular face detention, violence and smears. In Egypt, mass arrests and torture of human rights defenders persist, including the recent targeting of pro-Palestine protesters. In Libya, several journalists have been abducted in recent years. In Tunisia, WHRD Sherifa Riahi remains in prison for her activism on migrant rights. Defenders advocating for racial equality and the rights of black communities face harassment and reprisals. In Algeria, peaceful activism is punished with judicial harassment and prison sentences. WHRDs report being harassed for fighting for gender equality. In Morocco, trade union activists have been detained, as well as Sahrawi human rights defenders. In Mauritania, anti-slavery demonstrations were suppressed in February 2025, and HRDs were arrested and threatened.
What we heard from human rights defenders during these three days in Banjul underlines the vital and often dangerous work they carry out across Africa. It also highlighted the failure of many African States to fulfill their obligations when it comes to protecting HRDs, and to uphold the right to defend human rights.
I want to extend my huge thanks to all of the HRDs who shared their experience during the NGO Forum. As Special Rapporteur, I remain committed to listening to human rights defenders, bringing their voices to a wider audience and working alongside them, to ensure that those who stand up for the rights of others can do so without fear.
