1. The 24th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human
and Peoples' Rights was held from 22nd to 31st of October 1998
in Banjul, The Gambia.
2. The opening ceremony took place on 22nd October, 1998 under
the Chairmanship of Mr. Youssoupha Ndiaye, Chairman of the Commission.
3. The Session was declared opened by the Honourable Justice F.
M. Chomba, the President of the Court of Appeal of the Gambia.
4. Speeches were also delivered by Mr. Harry Octavianus Olympio,
Minister for the Promotion of Democracy and the Rule of Law, of
the Republic of Togo on behalf of State Parties to the Charter
and Ms. Sy Aissata Satigui of the Mauritania Association for Human
Rights as a representative of the NGOs with observer status with
the Commission.
5. The Chairman of the Commission informed delegates and participants
at the Session of the tragic and untimely death of Commissioner
Alioune Blondin Beye, who died in a plane crash near Abidjan,
Cote d` Ivorie on 26th June, 1998. A minute's silence was observed
in honour of the departed Commissioner. The 24th Ordinary Session
of the Commission was appropriately termed "Alioune Blondin
Beye Session"
In his memory, the 24th Ordinary Session of the Commission was
termed "Alioune Blondin Beye Session", and at the fourth
sitting of the Session his surviving colleagues paid tribute to
him. Commissioners recalled his dedicated service to the African
Commission as well as his zeal in the promotion and protection
of human rights in Africa. The Commission decided to institute
a human rights award named "the Alioune Blondin Beye Award"
in his honour.
6. State delegates from Angola, Ethiopia, Zambia, Benin, Mauritania,
Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Rwanda, Cameroon and Sudan addressed the
Commission.
7. With respect to the human rights situation in Africa, various
NGOs representatives expressed their concerns about the deteriorating
human rights situation in the Great Lakes Region- (Burundi, Rwanda
and the Democratic Republic of Congo), and in other parts of Africa.
The representatives of the Governments of Mauritania, Burkina
Faso, Zambia and Nigeria also responded to the statements of the
NGOs concerning the human rights situation in their respective
countries.
8. The Commission was briefed on the disturbing humanitarian situation
in Burundi due to the embargo imposed on this country by States
of this region. It therefore decided to take up the matter with
the current Chairman of the OAU with a view to asking him to intercede
with his colleagues who imposed the said sanctions against Burundi
for them to consider the possibility of lifting them, in accordance
with the spirit of the decisions of the Assembly of Heads of State
and Government of the OAU held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in
June 1998.
9. The relationship between the Commission and NGOs was discussed
with contributions from States delegates and NGOs observers.
10. The Commission has decided to use the existing revised and
simplified guidelines for the preparation of State Report. The
Commission resolved to organise a seminar for African Ambassadors
in Addis Ababa on the issue of submission of States Reports to
the Commission. The Secretary was directed to write to States
Parties attaching the said revised guidelines together with an
explanatory note on procedures and time-table for the consideration
of outstanding States reports.
11. Angola presented its initial State report in accordance with
Article 62 of the Charter. Consideration of the initial reports
of South Africa, Seychelles and Chad was postponed to the 25th
Ordinary Session. The Commission expressed strong displeasure
at the absence of these states to present their reports to the
Commission.
12. The Commission took note of the bombing of a pharmaceutical
plant in Khartoum and deplored the harmful consequences on human
rights.
13. The Commission decided to send Commissioner Ben Salem to Sierra
Leone to meet President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah so as to ask him not
to proceed with further execution of those sentenced to death.
14. The representatives of the Governments of Senegal and Mauritania
addressed the Commission on issues arising from the missions
undertaken to their countries on 1st - 7th and 19th - 27th June,
1996 respectively.
15. The Commission welcomed the holding of talks between the parties
to the Guinea-Bissau conflict and expressed its support for the
ongoing peace process, paying particular tribute to the Head of
State of The Gambia Col (Rtd) Yahja J. J. Jammeh. A resolution
to this effect was adopted by the Commission.
16. In commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, the Commission decided to issue a
statement, which would be circulated to all States parties to
the Charter.
17. During the private sessions, the Commission considered a total
number of 66 communications and made the necessary recommendations
18. The Commission adopted six resolutions.
19. The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights expresses
its profound gratitude to the Government of the Republic of the
Gambia for its efforts in making the session a success.
20. The session was declared closed on 31st October, 1998 by
Hon. Justice G. Gelaga-King of the Gambia Court of Appeal.
21. The Chairman of the Commission will hold a press conference
after the closing ceremony.
Issued in Banjul, Gambia
October 31, 1998
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