Benin
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Benin and Burkina Faso: Reverse the suspension of media outlets
CIVICUS, the global alliance of civil society organisations, condemns the decision by the governments of Benin and Burkina Faso to suspend media outlets over their coverage of the recent coup in Niger. On 8 August 2023, La Haute Autorité de l'Audiovisuel et de la Communication (HAAC), a commission responsible for the management and development of public information and communication in Benin, suspended Gulf Media Group , a private media house that owns Golfe Fm, Golfe TV, and the weekly Gazette du Golfe. Their digital channels have also been suspended from airing any information. The Media Group was suspended following their reports on the political situation in Niger after the coup that overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum.
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Benin downgraded as civic freedoms deteriorate
- Judicial persecution of journalists and activists
- Recent legislative and presidential elections marred by protests, violence and human rights violations.
- A number of opposition members either arrested or in exile
- 5th country in West Africa to be downgraded over the past 6 months
Benin has been downgraded from Obstructed to Repressed by the CIVICUS Monitor, an online platform that tracks violations to civic freedoms, including the freedoms of expression, association and assembly, in every country across the world. A ‘Repressed’ rating means that in Benin there are serious restrictions to fundamental freedoms.
“Activists, journalists and members of the opposition have been threatened and persecuted,” said human rights activist John Gbenagnon. “Harassment through arbitrary arrest, detention, targeted use of legal and regulatory measures and restrictions on finances has become a common experience for many human rights activists and opposition members in Benin.”
Democratic freedoms in Benin have deteriorated under President Patrice Talon’s administration, who was recently re-elected in April 2021 after a controversial election characterised by the absence of main opposition candidates.
Many opposition candidates were excluded from the presidential ballot after a new electoral law, adopted in the absence of opposition parties in the National Assembly, required presidential candidates to be ‘sponsored’ by at least 10 percent of parliament members and/ or mayors. Several opposition members have been arrested in the past few months, while others remain in exile or were disqualified from participating. The exclusion of opposition parties from elections sparked protests and violence a few days before the vote, killing at least two people in Savè.
The CIVICUS Monitor is concerned that the deterioration of rights around elections has become a common theme in Benin. Previous legislative elections, in April 2019, were marred by civic space violations, including an internet shutdown and the use of excessive and lethal force against protesters; protests were banned in many localities and demonstrators were arbitrarily arrested and detained. Among those arrested and prosecuted was trade unionist Joseph Aïmasse, from Confédération Syndicale des Travailleurs du Bénin, who was sentenced on 1 April 2019 to two months in prison and a 360 USD fine for having called for an ‘unauthorised protest’.
Arrests and targeting of those with views contrary to the state have become more common in Benin. The vaguely-worded 2018 Digital Code, recently criticised by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions, is being used as a tool to arrest and prosecute bloggers, journalists and opposition members. Under this law, prominent investigative journalist Ignace Sossou was arrested and sentenced in December 2019 to an initial prison sentence of 18 months and a fine; Sossou was charged with ‘harassment via electronic means‘ after quoting the public prosecutor on Twitter during a media workshop.
Media freedoms are increasingly under threat in Benin. The country’s national media regulator, Haute Autorité de l’Audovisuel et de la Communication (HAAC), has arbitrarily sanctioned media outlets and journalists. For example, in December 2019 Radio Soleil, owned by an opposition leader, was ordered to ‘suspend broadcasts’ until further notice after the HAAC rejected the station’s application to renew its license.
In a particularly regressive step for justice, in April 2020 Benin withdrew from a specific article of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) Protocol, that prevents individuals and CSOs from submitting complaints directly to the Court.
Benin’s civic space downgrade mirrors a decline in democratic freedoms across West Africa: Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Niger and Togo were downgraded from Obstructed to Repressed in December 2020, indicating a worrying trend in the region.
All five countries had presidential elections in 2020 and 2021, mostly fraught by controversy, civic space violations and increased political tension. In 2019, Nigeria had its rating changed to Repressed, a year after Senegal also saw its rating deteriorate from ‘Narrowed’ to Obstructed.
CIVICUS MONITOR CIVIC SPACE RATINGS:
OPEN NARROWED OBSTRUCTED REPRESSED CLOSED -
Benin: Freedom of expression restricted
Statement at the 53rd Session of the UN Human Rights Council
Adoption of the UPR report of Benin
Delivered by Cristina Figueira Shah
Thank you, Mr President.
Mr President, Coalition des Défenseurs des Droits Humains-Bénin (CDDH-Bénin), West African Human Rights Defenders Network (WAHRDN), Réseau des Femmes Leaders pour le Développement (RFLD) and CIVICUS welcome the government of Benin's engagement with the UPR process, and its commitment to implement the recommendations to guarantee freedom of expression and the protection of journalists and human rights defenders.
We regret that Benin only accepted 9 of the 21 recommendations it received during this cycle and has noted all recommendations to reform the Digital Code, which unduly restricts freedom of expression. Since its last review, Benin implemented none of the two recommendations relating to civic space.
We remain concerned by repressive provisions negatively affecting freedom of expression, notably in the 2018 Digital Code and the Criminal Code, which has been used against journalists, HRDs and bloggers.
Despite the decriminalisation of press offences in 2015, journalists continue to be arrested and imprisoned. On 13 January 2023, journalist Maxime Lissanon was arrested after the publication of a Facebook post related to the legislative elections of 8 January 2023, and was subsequently charged with ‘incitement to rebellion’. On 20 December 2022, police arrested editor of online radio station Crystal News, Virgile Ahouansè, and charged him with ‘publishing false information aimed at disturbing the peace’ for an investigative story alleging extra-judicial killings at a school in Porto Novo. On 14 June 2023, the Court of Repression of Economic Offences and Terrorism (CRIET), a special court dedicated to prosecuting economic and terrorism-related crimes, sentenced the journalist to a suspended prison sentence of 12 months.
Furthermore, in October 2022, the right to strike, which had already been undermined by the adoption of Law No. 2018-34 of 5 October 2018, was further undermined by the promulgation of a new law, expanding the sectors that are prohibited from strike action. Violating these strike bans can lead to prison sentences between three and 24 months, while solidarity strikes are prohibited.
Mr President, CDDH-Bénin, RFLD, WAHRDN and CIVICUS call on the Government of Benin to take concrete steps to address these concerns, including by revising the Digital Code as to ensure the respect of the freedom of expression, to adopt a law on the protection of HRDs and to ensure that the application of counterterrorism legislation respects human rights.
We thank you
Civic space in Benin is rated as "Repressed" by the CIVICUS Monitor
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CIVICUS UN Universal Periodic Review submissions on civil society space
CIVICUS and its partners have submitted joint and stand-alone UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) submissions on 9 countries in advance of the 28th UPR session (November 2017). The submissions examine the state of civil society in each country, including the promotion and protection of the rights to freedom of association, assembly and expression and the environment for human rights defenders. We further provide an assessment of the States’ domestic implementation of civic space recommendations received during the 2nd UPR cycle over 4 years ago and provide a number of targeted follow-up recommendations.
Countries examined: Benin, Gabon, Guatemala, Pakistan, Peru, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Ukraine and Zambia.
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CIVICUS UN Universal Periodic Review submissions on civil society space in Benin, Guatemala, Pakistan, Peru, Sri Lanka and Zambia
The United Nations Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process which involves a review of the human rights records of all 193 UN Member States once every 4.5 years.
CIVICUS and its partners have submitted UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) submissions on six countries in advance of the 42nd UPR session in January-February 2023. The submissions examine the state of civil society in each country, including the promotion and protection of the rights to freedom of association, assembly and expression and the environment for human rights defenders. We further provide an assessment of the States’ domestic implementation of civic space recommendations received during the 3rd UPR cycle over 4 years ago and provide a number of targeted follow-up recommendations.
Benin - See consolidated report | See full versions in English and French – The submission by the Coalition des Défenseurs des Droits Humains-Benin (CDDH-Bénin), West African Human Rights Defenders Network (WAHRDN/ROADDH), the Réseau des Femmes Leaders pour le Développement (RFLD) and CIVICUS, highlights the adoption of restrictive legislation, particularly the Criminal Code and the Digital Code, with its provisions being used against human rights defenders (HRDs) and journalists. Additionally, the submission also draws attention to the increasing restrictions and violations of the freedom of peaceful assembly, which includes blanket bans on protests, the militarisation of law enforcement and the use of excessive force, including live ammunition, against protesters, along with increasing legal restrictions to the right to protest.
Guatemala - See consolidated report | See full versions in English | Spanish –CIVICUS, REDLAD and Accíon Ciudadania detail the use of extreme violence against HRDs and journalists, aggravated by the continued criminalisation and stigmatisation they face from authorities and non-state actors. In this submission, we also express our concern on the adoption of a restrictive legislative framework which could significantly impact on the work of civil society in Guatemala, in a context where the work of CSOs is already vulnerable to obstruction through abusive judicial and administrative proceedings.
Pakistan - See consolidated report | See full version in English –In this submission, CIVICUS and Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) report, among other issues, the legal and extra-legal barriers imposed on civil society organisations (CSOs) registration and operations in Pakistan, the criminalisation, threats and harassment of human rights defenders and the failure to hold perpetrators to account. It also highlights the alarming efforts to intimidate and censor journalists and media outlets, the criminalisation of online expression and restrictions and attacks on peaceful protests, especially by ethnic Pashtun minorities and women’s rights activists.
Peru- See consolidated report | See full versions in English and Spanish –CIVICUS and Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos (APRODEH) underline the pervasive violence against HRDs, civil society groups and protesters, who continue to face attacks harassment stigmatisation and killings. State and non-state actors, despite the newly adopted protection mechanisms, have been able to escalate attacks with impunity. The submission further reports cases of judicial harassment against journalists and the gradual reduction of the space for a free and independent press.
Sri Lanka - See consolidated report | See full version in English –In this joint submission, CIVICUS and the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) denounce the ongoing use of excessive force against HRDs and protesters and restrictive laws to limit civic space and fundamental freedoms. Between 2017 and 2022, we observed alarming trends of a government crackdown on protests, arbitrary detention against activists and violations of the freedoms of opinion and expression. The submission further reports the alarming and continuous judicial persecution, harassment and intimidation of HRDs, journalists, student protesters and others expressing dissenting opinions against the government.
Zambia - See consolidated report | See full version in English – CIVICUS and Governance, Elections, Advocacy, Research Services Initiative Zambia (GEARS Initiative) report acts of intimidation and attacks on citizens, HRDs, CSOs and journalists in the period leading up to and during the presidential and parliamentary elections in August 2021. The submission also documents the continued use of excessive force by security forces in response to protests. We are moreover particularly worried by the restrictive legal framework, which undermines the freedoms of association, assembly and expression.
Civic space in Guatemala, Peru, Sri Lanka and Zambia is rated Obstructed, whereas Benin and Pakistan’s is rated as Repressed by the CIVICUS Monitor.
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Civil and political rights are backsliding in West Africa ahead of elections
There has been a rapid decline in civic freedoms and democratic norms in Francophone West Africa with ruling presidents evading term limits and muzzling their opposition and pro-democracy groups, CIVICUS said ahead of presidential elections in Guinea (18 October) and Côte d’Ivoire (31 October).
Over the next six months a series of elections will take place across Francophone West Africa. Voting kicks off in Guinea and Cote d'Ivoire later this month, followed by elections in Burkina Faso (November), Niger (December-January) and Benin (April). Togo already had a contested presidential election in February 2020.
In Togo, Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire, violence and political tensions are being fuelled by presidents refusing to step down. In Benin, recent changes in eligibility requirements mean that members of the opposition may not be able to run for presidency, while Côte d’Ivoire, Niger and Burkina Faso are confronting or emerging from violent armed conflicts which are being used to justify repressive laws and policies. In addition, the restrictions introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and armed groups spilling over from the Sahel to the Gulf of Guinea are making the political situations more volatile.In this tense political environment, the new report “Civic space backsliding ahead of elections in Francophone West Africa” examines the tools of repression being used to undermine opposition groups, human rights defenders, activists and journalists. with a focus on Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Niger and Togo.
It documents recent Internet disruptions, the arrest of hundreds of pro-democracy activists and journalists and the killing of dozens of peaceful protesters in demonstrations organised over the last three years. Governments are using restrictive laws, over-complicated registration processes, judicial harassment and excessive use of force to clampdown on civil society, particularly when dissent is expressed online or during protests.
“Instead of working with civil society groups to create an enabling environment for free and fair elections, authorities across Francophone West Africa have resorted to muzzling human rights defenders and pro-democracy activists. In the hope of stamping out all opposition, they have created a climate of fear which fuels political violence, erodes the rule of law and undermines regional stability,” said François Patuel, senior researcher on West Africa and author of the report.
In Guinea, where President Alpha Condé will run for a third term on 18 October 2020, over fifty people were killed since October 2019 in protests organised by the political opposition and pro-democracy group Front National de Défense de la Constitution (National Front for the Defence of the Constitution, FNDC). In March 2020, the constitutional referendum which opened the way to Alpha Condé running for a third term was marred with a social media shutdown and intercommunal clashes in the Guinea Forest region which left over 30 people dead. Dozens of FNDC supporters and journalists have been detained since the creation of the movement in April 2019.
In Côte d’Ivoire, at least 12 people were killed in protests and clashes between political supporters following President Alassane Ouattara’s decision to run for a third term for the presidential election scheduled on 31 October 2020. Public protests have been banned since August 2020. The authorities have adopted laws criminalising false news and used them to target journalists, bloggers and politicians expressing dissent, including members of parliament such as Alain Lobognon who remains in detention since December 2019. In gross contempt to regional institutions, Côte d’Ivoire has been ignoring orders from the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights to release pro-Soro supporters and allow Guillaume Soro and Laurent Gbagbo to stand for elections.
“Local human rights groups do not take up sensitive political cases for fear of reprisals. Even lawyers are scared.” --Woman human rights defender, Abidjan, 15 May 2020.
“On paper, the right to freedom of expression is supposed to be protected. But in practice, journalists are intimidated when they write on sensitive topics such as land rights, police brutality and corruption.” -- Interview with a human rights defender, Lomé, 14 May 2020.
With civic freedoms backsliding across West Africa Francophone, civil society organisations need support from regional and international partners to remain safe, to ensure their voice is heard in international and regional fora and to increase the pressure on national authorities for positive human rights change. ECOWAS and the African Union, in particular, must step-up their response to the authorities’ disregard for regional standards and instruments, including their efforts to undermine the African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Interviews
To arrange interviews, please contact:
François Patuel, Consultant & Senior Researcher on West Africa for CIVICUS, , +221 77 693 78 46 -
Civil Society “Contested and Under Pressure”, says new report
Read this press release in Arabic, French, Portuguese and Spanish
Civil society around the globe is “contested and under pressure” according to a 22-country research findings report released by CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance, and The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL). The report, Contested and Under Pressure: A Snapshot of the Enabling Environment of Civil Society in 22 Countries, brings together insights from Enabling Environment National Assessments (EENA) conducted around the world between 2013 and 2016.
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Le Bénin baisse de catégorie tandis que les libertés civiques se dégradent
- Persécution judiciaire des journalistes et militants
- Les récentes élections législatives et présidentielles ont été émaillées de manifestations, de violences et de violations
- Certains membres de l’opposition sont en détention ou en exil
- C’est le cinquième pays d’Afrique de l’Ouest à descendre de catégorie dans les six derniers mois.
Le CIVICUS Monitor vient de déclasser le Bénin, qui descend de la catégorie d'«obstrué» à celle de «réprimé». Le CIVICUS Monitor est une plateforme numérique qui fait un suivi des violations des libertés civiques, notamment les libertés d'expression, d'association et de réunion dans tous les pays du monde. L'inclusion du Bénin dans la catégorie « réprimé » signifie que les libertés fondamentales y sont sérieusement restreintes.
« Des militants, des journalistes et des membres de l'opposition ont été menacés et persécutés », affirme John Gbenagnon, militant pour les droits de l'homme. « Le harcèlement par le biais d'arrestations arbitraires, de détentions, de l'utilisation ciblée de dispositions légales et réglementaires, et de restrictions financières est devenu une expérience habituelle pour de nombreux militants des droits de l’homme et membres de l'opposition au Bénin. »
Au Bénin les libertés démocratiques se sont détériorées sous le gouvernement du président Patrice Talon, récemment réélu en avril 2021 après une élection controversée, caractérisée par l'absence des principaux candidats de l'opposition.
De nombreux candidats de l'opposition ont été exclus de l'élection présidentielle après qu'une nouvelle loi électorale, adoptée en l'absence des partis d'opposition à l'Assemblée nationale, contraint les candidats à la présidence à obtenir le parrainage d'au moins un dixième des membres du Parlement ou des maires. Plusieurs membres de l'opposition ont été arrêtés au cours des derniers mois, tandis que d'autres restent en exil ou ont été disqualifiés et n’ont pas pu se présenter. L'exclusion des partis d'opposition des élections a déclenché des manifestations et des violences quelques jours avant le vote, une situation qui s'est soldée par au moins deux morts à Savè.
Le Monitor CIVICUS s’inquiète du fait que la détérioration des droits en période électorale au Bénin se banalise. Les élections législatives d'avril 2019 ont été entachées de violations de l'espace civique, notamment une coupure d'Internet et un usage excessif de la force, y compris de force létale, contre les manifestants. Les manifestations ont été interdites dans de nombreuses localités et des manifestants ont été arrêtés et détenus de manière arbitraire. Parmi les personnes arrêtées et poursuivies se trouvait le syndicaliste Joseph Aïmasse de la Confédération syndicale des travailleurs du Bénin. Il a été condamné le 1er avril 2019 à deux mois de prison et à une amende de 360 USD pour avoir appelé à une « manifestation non autorisée ».
Les arrestations et le ciblage de ceux qui ne partagent pas l'avis de l'État sont devenus plus fréquents au Bénin. Le Groupe de travail des Nations unies sur la détention arbitraire a récemment critiqué l'ambigu Code du numérique de 2018, qui est utilisé comme un outil pour arrêter et poursuivre les blogueurs, les journalistes et les membres de l'opposition. Au titre de cette loi, le célèbre journaliste d'investigation Ignace Sossou a été arrêté et condamné en décembre 2019 à une peine de prison initiale de dix-huit mois et à une amende ; il avait été accusé de « harcèlement par le biais d'une communication électronique » après avoir cité le procureur de la République sur Twitter lors d'un atelier pour les médias.
La liberté des médias est de plus en plus menacée au Bénin. La Haute Autorité de l'audiovisuel et de la communication (HAAC) a sanctionné arbitrairement des médias et des journalistes. Par exemple, en décembre 2019, lorsque Radio Soleil, propriété d'un dirigeant de l'opposition, a reçu l'ordre de « suspendre ses émissions » jusqu'à nouvel ordre, après que la HAAC a rejeté la demande de renouvellement de licence de la station.
En avril 2020, dans une démarche particulièrement régressive pour la justice, le Bénin s'est retiré de l'article 34-6 du Protocole de la Cour africaine des droits de l'homme et des peuples (CADHP), ce qui empêchera désormais les individus et les OSC de déposer des plaintes directement auprès de la Cour.
La dégradation de l'espace civique du Bénin reflète le déclin des libertés démocratiques dans toute l'Afrique de l'Ouest : la Côte d'Ivoire, la Guinée, le Niger et le Togo ont été déclassés et sont passés de la catégorie «obstrué» à celle de «réprimé» en décembre 2020, dessinant ainsi une tendance inquiétante dans la région.
Ces cinq pays ont tenu des élections présidentielles en 2020 et 2021 qui, pour la plupart, ont été marquées par des controverses, des violations de l'espace civique et une tension politique accrue. En 2019 le Nigéria a intégré la catégorie «réprimé», un an après que le Sénégal a également vu son classement se dégrader, passant de la catégorie « rétréci » à celle d'«obstrué».
CLASSIFICATIONS DE L'ESPACE CIVIQUE PAR LE CIVICUS MONITOR
OUVERT RÉTRÉCI OBSTRUÉ RÉPRIMÉ FERMÉ
Pour plus d'informations ou pour organiser un entetien, veuillez contacter:
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Statement at the UN Human Rights Council: Global trends on civic space
37th Session of the Human Rights Council
Oral statementAcross the globe, CIVICUS has observed a pattern of judicial persecution, smear campaigns, threats, intimidation, physical assaults and killings targeting human rights defenders.
We remain deeply concerned by the relentless and unwarranted restrictions on fundamental freedoms and attacks on civil society leaders, members of unions and members of the political opposition that have expressed criticism of government policies and practices.
These attacks are particularly prevalent before, during and after politically charged periods like elections as recently observed in Gabon, where the movements of members of the political opposition and threats to human rights defenders have continued after the violence that followed the 2016 elections. Sadly, this is a trend we observe in many countries.
We are alarmed by the growing tendency of states to use restrictive legislation and policies to pre-empt peaceful protests by citizens and civil society under the pretext of national security.
Many states deploy armed security forces who use violence and live ammunition to disperse demonstrations. Protesters are killed and some are injured. As observed in Benin, these actions are often followed by arrests and detention of protesters, some of whom have reported being tortured.
We call on states to uphold and protect the rights of citizens to freely assemble and express themselves in line with national and international human rights standards.
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Un nouveau rapport montre que les libertés civiles et politiques sont en recul en Afrique de l’Ouest à l’approche des élections présidentielles.
Les libertés civiles et les normes démocratiques enregistrent un net recul en Afrique de l’Ouest francophone avec des présidents au pouvoir contournant les limites de mandat et muselant les militants pro-démocratie et les opposants, a déclaré CIVICUS, à l’approche les élections présidentielles en Guinée (18 octobre) et en Côte d’Ivoire (31 octobre).
Au cours des six prochains mois, une série d’élections se tiendra dans plusieurs pays d’Afrique de l’Ouest francophone. Les élections débuteront en Guinée et en Côte d’Ivoire en octobre, puis au Burkina Faso (novembre), au Niger (décembre-janvier) et au Bénin (avril). Le Togo a déjà organisé une élection présidentielle contestée en février 2020.Au Togo, en Guinée et en Côte d’Ivoire, la violence et les tensions politiques sont alimentées par le refus des présidents de ne pas se retirer à la fin de leur mandat. Au Bénin, des changements récents dans les conditions d’éligibilité signifient que les membres de l’opposition pourraient ne pas être en mesure de se présenter à la prochaine présidentielle, tandis que la Côte d’Ivoire, le Niger et le Burkina Faso sont actuellement confrontés ou sont en train de sortir de conflits armés violents qui sont utilisés pour justifier des lois et politiques répressives. En outre, les restrictions introduites en réponse à la pandémie COVID-19 ainsi que l'avancée de groupes armés du Sahel vers le golfe de Guinée rendent la situation plus instable.
Dans ce climat politique tendu, le nouveau rapport «L’espace civique en recul à l’approche des élections en Afrique de l’Ouest francophone» examine les outils de répression utilisés pour affaiblir les groupes d’opposition, saper le travail des défenseurs des droits humains, des militants et des journalistes, avec un accent sur le Bénin, la Côte d’Ivoire, la Guinée, le Niger et le Togo.
Ce rapport documente les récentes perturbations d’Internet, l’arrestation de centaines de journalistes et d’activistes pro-démocratie ainsi que les homicides de dizaines de manifestants pacifiques lors des manifestations organisées au cours des trois dernières années. Les gouvernements utilisent des lois restrictives, des processus d’enregistrement trop complexes, le harcèlement judiciaire et un recours excessif à la force pour réprimer la société civile, en particulier lorsque la divergence d’opinion est exprimée en ligne ou lors de manifestations.
«Plutôt que de travailler avec la société civile pour créer un environnement propice à des élections libres et équitables en Afrique de l'Ouest, les autorités répriment les défenseurs des droits humains et les militants pro-démocratie. Dans l’espoir d’éradiquer toute opposition, elles ont créé un climat de peur qui alimente la violence politique, érode l’état de droit et mine la stabilité régionale », a déclaré François Patuel, chercheur principal sur l’Afrique de l’Ouest et auteur du rapport.
En Guinée, où le président Alpha Condé se présentera pour un troisième mandat le 18 octobre 2020, plus de cinquante personnes ont été tuées depuis octobre 2019 lors de manifestations organisées par l’opposition politique et le groupe pro-démocratie Front National de Défense de la Constitution (FNDC). En mars 2020, le référendum constitutionnel qui a ouvert la voie à la candidature d’Alpha Condé pour un troisième mandat a été marqué par la fermeture des réseaux sociaux ainsi que par des affrontements intercommunautaires en Guinée forestière qui ont fait plus de 30 morts. Des dizaines de sympathisants du FNDC et de journalistes ont été arrêtés depuis la création du mouvement en avril 2019.
En Côte d’Ivoire, au moins 12 personnes ont été tuées lors de manifestations et d’affrontements entre militants politiques à la suite de la décision du président Alassane Ouattara de se présenter pour un troisième mandat à l’élection présidentielle prévue le 31 octobre 2020. Les manifestations publiques sont interdites depuis août 2020. Les autorités ont adopté des lois criminalisant les fausses nouvelles et les ont utilisées pour cibler des journalistes, des blogueurs et des politiciens exprimant leur divergence d’opinion, y compris des parlementaires comme Alain Lobognon qui est en détention depuis décembre 2019. Au mépris des institutions régionales, la Côte d’Ivoire a ignoré les ordonnances de la Cour Africaine des Droits de l’Homme et des Peuples exigeant la libération des sympatisants de Guillaume Soro et demandant aux autorités de permettre à Guillaume Soro et Laurent Gbagbo de se présenter à la présidentielle.
«Les groupes locaux de défense des droits humains ne prennent pas en charge les affaires politiques sensibles par peur de représailles. Même les avocats ont peur. » –Une femme défenseure des droits humains, Abidjan, 15 mai 2020.
«Sur le papier, le droit à la liberté d’expression est censé être protégé. Mais dans la pratique, les journalistes sont intimidés lorsqu’ils écrivent sur des sujets sensibles tels que les droits fonciers, la brutalité policière et la corruption. » - Entretien avec un défenseur des droits humains, Lomé, 14 mai 2020.
Avec le recul des libertés civiques dans toute l’Afrique de l’Ouest francophone, les organisations de la société civile ont besoin du soutien des partenaires régionaux et internationaux pour rester en sécurité, pour s’assurer que leur voix est entendue dans les forums internationaux et régionaux et pour augmenter la pression sur les autorités nationales pour un changement positif en matière de droits humains. La CEDEAO et l’Union africaine, en particulier, doivent affermir leur réponse face au mépris des autorités pour les normes et instruments régionaux, y compris les efforts de ces dernières visant à affaiblir la Cour Africaine des Droits de l’Homme et des Peuples.
ENTREVUES
Pour organiser des entretiens, veuillez contacter:
François Patuel, consultant et chercheur senior sur l’Afrique de l’Ouest pour CIVICUS, , +221 77693 78 46 -
Widespread arrests, attacks and legal restrictions facing LGBTQI+ activists across Africa finds new report
Widespread arrests, attacks and legal restrictions facing LGBTQI+ activists across Africa finds new report
Johannesburg | 4 July, 2023
- Same-sex relations criminalised in at least 27 countries south of the Sahara
- Organisations shut down and offices raided for their work on LGBTQI+ rights
- Widespread bans on the publication of information on gay rights
- Anti-LGBTQI+ laws and practices disproportionately impact other excluded groups including women, children and victims of abuse
From Uganda to Cameroon, LGBTQI+ activists face significant restrictions due to the prevailing social, cultural and legal attitudes towards homosexuality and gender identity. A new report by CIVICUS, Challenging Barriers: Investigating Civic Space Limitations on LGBTQI+ Rights in Africa, looks at some common challenges faced by activists and civil society groups in countries south of the Sahara.
Many African countries have laws that criminalise same sex activity. The laws, often remnants of colonial era legislation, can be used to target and prosecute LGBTQI+ individuals, including activists. Penalties range from fines, imprisonment to even the death penalty in some countries.
Limited legal protection in many African countries offers little or no protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. This lack of protection makes it difficult for activists and civil society groups to advocate for equal rights or seek justice when they face human rights abuses. The offices and activities of civil society organisations advocating for LGBTQI+ rights have been either raided or shutdown in Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and Cameroon.
Attacks against people who identify as LGBTQI+ are common in countries such as Benin, Cameroon and Kenya. In Cameroon since 2022 there have been over 30 recorded cases of violence and abuse against LGBTQI+ people, while in Kenya sexual minority groups face escalating homophobic attacks. In January 2023, following a series of killings in 2022, unknown assailants murdered and dumped the body of LGBTQI+ activist Edwin Chiloba. Chiloba’s death, which many linked to his sexual orientation sparked public outrage, with civil society groups and members of the public denouncing the murder and calling on the authorities to bring those involved to justice.“With the escalating hostility towards the LGBTQ+ community in Africa, this report sheds light on the grave reality faced by many, and compels us to challenge prejudice, and advocate for equality - especially for the most marginalised. Governments must ensure equal protection for all people in accordance with their obligations on non-discrimination under international human rights law. We implore governments to take robust measures to safeguard the rights and well-being of all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Sylvia Mbataru, CIVICUS’ Civic Space Researcher for Eastern & Southern Africa.
Censorship and restrictions on freedom of peaceful assembly have contributed to a deteriorating environment for activists. In several countries, the publication and dissemination of material on LGBTQI+ issues face strict editorial controls and bans. CIVICUS also documents how protests are being suppressed, including the use of various laws to deny permits for public demonstrations, specifically targeting LGBTQI gatherings.
Despite the hostile environment in many countries, civil society groups continue to advocate for LGBTQI+ rights and score important victories. The report also documents a number of positive developments including the decriminalization of same sex relations in Botswana and Gabon, as well as a recent Supreme Court decision in Namibia to recognise same-sex marriages concluded abroad between citizens and foreign spouses.
The report concludes by demonstrating the impact of civic space restrictions against LGBTQI+ groups, and shows how the ramifications of these restrictions also affect other excluded groups including women and children.
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