African Countries have established the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights as a means for facilitating the implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As a step in the direction of propagating the ideals of the UN Declaration and African Charter, African NGOs and the free press are playing a leading role in human rights education of the peoples of African continent. Since human rights information dissemination is the basis for the respect of human rights, it is important that African human rights activists and journalists identify themselves with the basic rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and with that of the African Charter on Human Rights and people’s Rights.

In this respect, the UN Declaration, therefore, requires that all governments and individuals must commit themselves for the realization and effective protection of human rights. The question now is the extent to which governments in Africa have abided to the UN Declaration. Of course, when governments signed the Declaration, they have expressed their commitment to the realization of the great ideals. Even though, governments in Africa are signatories of the Declaration, little effort has been made by African leaders to be in the vanguard of the struggle for the respect of human rights. This is because that the subjects of human rights, freedom of the press are important issues that need personal dedication to advancing the cause of people, peace, democracy and justice.

Of course, by signing the African Union Charter and the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the leaders of Africa have dedicated themselves to the respect of human rights. This should be the basis for exposing and alienating those human rights perpetrators and bringing them to justice. However, despite their pledge to the respect of human rights, the situation has deteriorated at unprecedented scale with human rights abuses taking the lives of so many people in many countries of Africa. How long does Africa have to wait to get these dictators respect the basic human rights of people enshrined in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights? As the saying goes: “inch by inch is a cynch”: Africa is gradually working hard towards preventing the further exacerbation of the sufferings of its peoples. Africa is risen up to act against dictators in the continent. The African Union Human Rights Commission has openly demonstrated this truth at the African Union Assembly Summit in Khartoum, Sudan in January, 2006. The African Human Rights Commission has publicly exposed the atrocities and the rampant human rights violations. Human rights offenders have to be brought to justice whether they are in power or in exile. This can be done given the current political will and cohesion of the peoples of African and the international community. Human rights offenders cannot escape justice.

However, despite the massive human rights violations, the measures so far taken are not adequate to ensure the respect of human rights in Africa. In this connection, the African Union has set up an African Court of Human Rights and Peoples' Rights. This Court has an important task to fulfill that of ensuring the respect of human rights by way of bringing human rights offenders to justice. In this regard, it is necessary for African Court to be staffed with dedicated and highly professional people to fulfill its noble objective. In light of this, the efforts of the African Union Human Rights Commission and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights for the respect of human rights in Africa will no doubt bear fruit in the interest of the peoples of Africa. Of course, the priorities for the peoples of Africa are to overcome poverty, disease and illiteracy. The resolution to these problems can be found in the respect of human rights, the prevalence of justice, peace, the rule of law and economic prosperity.


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