Join us for the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Malabo Protocol! We are excited to invite you to a high-level dialogue commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the Malabo Protocol. This event is organized by the African Union, in collaboration with the Pan...
Statement by the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU)On the deposit, by the Republic of Angola, of the Instrument of Ratification of the Protocol on Amendments to the Protocol on the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights, 2014 (also called the ‘Malabo Protocol’)
Commemorating the Rwandan genocide, 30 years on
April marked the 30th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, the deadliest genocide witnessed on the African continent, where over the span of just 100 days, about 800,000 people, primarily Tutsis but also moderate Hutus, were brutally murdered. In a significant...
Human Rights Groups Urge President Biden to Oppose US Sanctions on ICC
Photo credit: @ICC-CPI President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.The White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NWWashington, D.C. 20500 Re: Threats to the International Criminal Court Dear President Biden: We write as organizations with a steadfast commitment to justice for grave...
Why is the Malabo Protocol still on the shelf?
Ten years after African leaders adopted a document in Equatorial Guinea that aimed to provide the continent with the most expansive and ambitious understanding and definition of international crimes, reflecting both the progressive development of international...
Sudan: Extend the Fact-Finding Mission’s mandate
The Statement on the Human Rights Situation in the Horn of Africa
No to second anniversary of Sudan war
Sudan: A forgotten crisis. Photo credit: EU/ECHO/Anouk Delafortrie By Brian Kagoro April 15 marked one year since the breakout of the devastating war in Sudan that has killed 14,000 people, displaced over 16.5 million and led to the worst humanitarian crisis today...
One year into the crisis in Sudan, South Africa should use its influence to help bring peace
Refugees from Sudan waiting at the border point for transportation. Photo credit: UNHCR/Ala Kheir Daily Maverick By Dismas Nkunda April 15 marked the first anniversary of the conflict in Sudan. The situation is dire: since the outbreak of the crisis nearly nine...
Af4HA letter to H.E. Ms Jainaba Jagne – Ambassador of The Gambia to the African Union
The ICC and UNSC Must Do More for Sudan’s Mass Atrocity Victims
UNSC refers sitation in Darfur, Sudan to ICC Security Council 6217th meeting. Photo Credit: Coalition for the ICC SUDAN TRIBUNE By Janet Sankale On 24 January 2024, the Africans for the Horn of Africa Initiative (Af4HA), a coalition of African civil society...
Af4HA Welcomes IGAD’s Resolutions on Sudan – but Calls to Align IGAD Action to the Will of the People
Flags of IGAD member states fly at the Peace Hotel compound in Mogadishu, Somalia, the venue of the Extra-Ordinary IGAD Heads of State Summit on September 13, 2016. AMISOM Photo / Omar Abdisalan 23 January 2023 “I feel that things will only change when We – The People...
International Community Must Take Decisive Preventative Action to Halt Further Atrocities
We, the undersigned Sudanese and international civil society groups have come together to sound the alarm on future atrocities being committed in Sudan, based on the patterns of atrocities that have occurred in the previous seven months of war. We call on the...
Request for support of ICC investigation in Palestine by African ICC member states
16 October 2023 Dear Excellencies, The Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) is a regional non-governmental organisation based in Johannesburg, South Africa. SALC’s mandate is to promote human rights and protect the rule of law in the Southern African...
Where is the UN on Sudan?
A woman and her family displaced by war seek shelter. Photo credit: UN Photo/Tim McKulka SUDAN TRIBUNE General Burhan Speaks Before the General Assembly By Dismas Nkunda and Janet Sankale On Friday, September 22, 2023 afternoon, General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan...
Human rights and humanitarian organizations are calling upon the United Nations to take immediate action to address the crisis unfolding in Sudan.
Joint Statement Urging More Aid, Solidarity and Attention to Sudan Crisis Displaced Sudanese Women and Children from the ongoing war face harsh conditions. Photo credit: @UN/Albert Gonzalez We, the heads of over 50 human rights and humanitarian organizations are...
54th session of the UN Human Rights Council: Ethiopia – Renew the mandate of the ICHREE
Jaurocks, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons To Permanent Representatives of Member and Observer States of the United Nations Human Rights Council Excellencies, Ahead of the Human Rights Council’s 54th regular session (September 11- October 12, 2023), we, the...
The Human Rights Council should establish an independent mechanism on Sudan
To Permanent Representatives of Member and Observer States of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (Geneva, Switzerland) 1 September 2023 The Human Rights Council should establish an independent mechanism on Sudan Excellencies, Following the outbreak of armed...
EVENT: Dissecting the latest trends in military takeovers in Africa
Join us for an insightful online event via Twitter Spaces, where we will delve into the pressing issue of ongoing military takeovers in the continent. Our expert panel will lead a thought-provoking discussion, analyzing the geopolitical implications, humanitarian...
JOINT LETTER TO THE ACHPR ON THE PREMATURE TERMINATION OF THE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY ON THE SITUATION IN TIGRAY
Dear Honourable Members, JOINT LETTER RE: CONCERNS REGARDING THE PREMATURE TERMINATION OF THE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY ON THE SITUATION IN THE TIGRAY REGION OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA We, the undersigned civil society, and human rights organizations are alarmed...
In an exclusive interview with Tigrai TV, Dismas Nkunda, CEO of Atrocities Watch Africa, highlights significant discoveries from the “Ethiopia Watch: CSO Monitor Report.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEtHmJSKevw A newly released monitoring mechanism has revealed disturbing evidence that the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA) reached eight months ago between the Ethiopian Federal Government and Tigray People’s Liberation Front...
Outcome Statement of the High-Level Dialogue with Sudanese Civic Actors on the Situation in Sudan
On 15 July 2023, in partnership with the Government of Kenya, the Africans for the Horn of Africa Initiative (Af4HA), a coalition of African civil society groups committed to working collectively on the crises in the Horn, convened a High-Level Dialogue on the...
ETHIOPIA WATCH Civil Society Monitor of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement
Download full report here.
First-of-its-Kind Civil Society Monitor Finds Disturbing Gaps in Tigray Peace Deal
‘Ethiopia Watch’ Report Urges the African Union to Build on the Historic Agreement Reached in Pretoria Eight Months Ago A newly released monitoring mechanism has revealed disturbing evidence that the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA) reached eight months ago...
UN Human Rights Council: urgently convene a special session and establish an investigative mechanism
In light of the unfolding human rights crisis in Sudan, and notwithstanding efforts to stop the fighting by the African Union (AU), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and other regional and international actors, non-governmental organisations wrote...
CIVILIANS UNDER ATTACK IN SUDAN: A ROBUST AU RESPONSE REQUIRED
19 April 2023 “I believe the drafters of the Constitutive Act anticipated scenarios similar to the one obtaining in Sudan, when they coined article 4(h). Africans can not stand by and continue to watch atrocities being committed in Sudan without taking all necessary...
THE AFRICAN UNION MUST ACT NOW TO AVOID FURTHER LOSS OF LIFE IN SUDAN
15 February 2023 “60 years into Africa’s unity, the African Union cannot afford to sit back and watch conflict harm and affect the lives of Africans again and again. Silencing the guns and taking decisive action against autocracy, to protect African lives must be the...
Letter to the UN Human Rights Council on the threats to terminate the mandate of the ICHREE
Re: Threats to Terminate the Mandate of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia To: Permanent Representatives of Member and Observer States of the United Nations Human Rights Council Excellencies, We, the undersigned civil society and human...
RISK OF INCREASED VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA’S 2023 ELECTIONS
Nigerians were promised free, fair and transparent general elections in 2023, but what seems clear now is that the electoral process will be flawed and violent. However, action can still be taken to avoid the worst outcomes. Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA) and Global...
Discussion on the Ethiopian Peace Process: filling in the gaps
After two years of fighting the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) signed a Cessation of Hostilities Agreement,[1] on 2 November 2022 in Pretoria South Africa. This was followed by the signing of an Executive Declaration on...
ACHPR: strengthen the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry on Ethiopia
To the Commissioners and Special Mechanisms of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) 25 October 2022 The ACHPR should strengthen the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry on Ethiopia and adopt a strong resolution condemning ongoing human rights...
ACHPR: continue to support the Sudanese people and call for the installation of a civilian government
To the Commissioners and Special Mechanisms of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights 25 October 2022 The ACHPR should continue its strong support of the Sudanese people and call for the installation of a civilian government in the wake of the 2021...
Letter to UN Member States on the re-election of Sudan to the UN Human Rights Council
To The Permanent Representatives All UN Member StatesUNGA, New York 06 October 2022 Sub: Re-election of Sudan to the UN Human Rights Council (2023-2025) Excellency, We, representatives of the undersigned non-governmental organization are writing to you this letter...
Letter to the UN Human Rights Council to extend the mandate of the ICHREE
Extend the mandate of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia. 21 September, 2022 Your Excellencies, The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) and Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA) urge the UN Human Rights Council (from now on...
SUDAN: Letter to President of the US, Establishing a Line of Defense for Democracy in Sudan through Targeted Sanctions
August 31, 2022 RE: Establishing a Line of Defense for Democracy in Sudan through Targeted Sanctions Dear President Biden, We, the undersigned 101 human rights organizations, scholars and leading activists, urged you in May of this year to impose targeted sanctions on...
NIGERIA 2023: A MAJOR TEST FOR DEMOCRACY IN NEED OF CRITICAL SUPPORT
Nigerians will head to the polls on 25 February 2023 to select a new president and national assembly, and on 11 March to select new governors and State Houses of Assembly. Current President Buhari is set to step down after serving eight years in office. He has...
CSO letter to the South African President C. Ramaphosa on the eve of the 47th G7 summit
HE President Cyril RamaphosaPresident of the Republic of South Africa 23 June 2022 H.E. President Cyril Ramaphosa, As you prepare to meet with the Leaders of the G7 at Schloss Elmau this weekend, we, the undersigned group of African and international civil...
Hate speech and incitement of violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Kampala, Uganda23rd June 2022 Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA) is deeply concerned about recent hate speech in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Discourse instigating hatred, violence and discrimination of Kinyarwanda speakers both Rwandan and Congolese, calling on...
African Civil Society’s letter to the United Nations Security Council on the ongoing situation in Ethiopia
18 May 2022 Your excellency, We, the undersigned, write on behalf of our members across the African continent and concerned Africans everywhere to ask you to provide leadership in ending the ongoing war in Ethiopia. Since November 2020, the federal government under...
“We will erase you from this land,” Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International joint report reactions.
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 4, May 2022Read full newsletter here. On 5 April 2022, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch released a joint report based on information collected between November 2020 and March 2022 through 427 interviews and other...
Letter to UN Human Rights Council on Sudan: Ensure continued public debates on the human rights situation
To Permanent Representatives of Member and Observer States of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (Geneva, Switzerland) 19 May 2022 Sudan: Ensure continued public debates on the human rights situation Excellencies, Following the military coup of 25 October...
Africans Caught Up in the Ukraine War
From Atrocities Watch Monitor No. 3 April 2022. Read full newsletter here Six weeks on from the start of Russian military advances in Ukraine, the crisis has sparked Europe’s largest refugee crisis since World War II. More than 4 million Ukrainians had fled the...
Letter to US Congress – The Sudanese Revolution Stands with the Ukrainian People
The Sudanese Revolution Stands with the Ukrainian People | February 26, 2022 Dear Members of Congress, The people of Sudan recognize and support the courage the world admires in the people of Ukraine as they risk their lives to save their country from defeat by a...
Sudan: Letter to Permanent Representatives of Member and Observer States of the UN Human Rights Council
26 Jan 2022 To Permanent Representatives of Member and Observer States of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council, Geneva, Switzerland The Human Rights Council action at Sudan’s UPR Excellencies, Ahead of the 3rd cycle Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Sudan on...
African Citizens’ Letter to the United Nations Secretary General On the risk of genocide in Ethiopia
Dear Mr. Secretary-General, Concerning the Need to Take Urgent Action to Prevent Genocide in Ethiopia We, the undersigned, write on behalf of ourselves, our members across the regions of the African continent and the Diaspora and on behalf of concerned...
Open Letter to the United Nations Security Council
Your Excellencies, As concerned citizens from Africa standing in solidarity with the people of South Sudan, we write to you as you approach a critical decision that could have lasting implications for the fragile peace and the future stability of Africa’s youngest...
Sudan – Political Agreement
On November 21st, 2021, a political agreement was signed between military coup leader, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. The agreement reinstates Hamdok as Sudan’s Prime Minister, calls for the release of all political prisoners as well...
Letter to the AU and IGAD on the Sudanese Military Coup
We stand in solidarity with the people of Sudan and we demand more resolute action from the African Union (AU), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the United Nations (UN) We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, are deeply concerned...
Dear Ethiopia
Not the Nobel Prize: Giving war criminals the attention they deserve
War criminals don’t get the recognition they deserve, believes Dismas Nkunda, a Ugandan journalist and activist who has covered the war in South Sudan extensively. So he decided to do something about it. “I had to find a way of shaming those who were bottlenecks to...