Source: Human Rights Watch (HRW) |

Cameroon’s Massacre Victims Wait for Justice Five Years On

Stalled Trial a Case Study in Impunity

Brutal violence has taken hold in Cameroon’s North-West and South-West regions since 2016 as armed separatist groups seek independence for the country’s minority Anglophone regions. Attacks on communities and acts of banditry have become the norm.  Government security forces were deployed to stop attacks and bring stability, but the conflict has…

Source: Human Rights Watch (HRW) |

Democratic Republic of (DR) Congo: M23 Drives Displaced People from Goma Camps

Rwanda-Backed Armed Group Should Revoke Unlawful Displacement Order

The Rwanda-backed M23 armed group has unlawfully ordered tens of thousands of displaced people to leave the camps around Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Human Rights Watch said today. Since the M23 took control of Goma on January 27, 2025, many displaced people have returned to their home villages or…

Source: Human Rights Watch (HRW) |

Mali: African Union (AU) Action Needed to End Crackdown on Opposition, Dissent

Enforced Disappearances, Politically Motivated Detention

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights should take urgent action to stop the Malian junta’s crackdown on the political opposition and dissent, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to African Union officials. The Commission should give immediate attention to the cases of several political figures who are or were presumed forcibly…

Source: Human Rights Watch (HRW) |

Algeria: Arbitrary Travel Bans Against Critics

Algerian authorities have used travel bans to arbitrarily target civil society activists, opposition party leaders, journalists, union supporters, and others deemed critical of the government

 Algerian authorities have increasingly used arbitrary travel bans to retaliate against perceived critics, Human Rights Watch and MENA Rights Group said today. The authorities should lift the arbitrary bans and stop using them as a tool to repress dissent. Algerian authorities have used travel bans to arbitrarily target civil society activists, opposition party…

Source: Human Rights Watch (HRW) |

Ethiopia: Key Rights Groups Suspended

End Repeated, Arbitrary Harassment of Civil Society Organizations

 Ethiopian authorities have shut down two more prominent human rights organizations in recent weeks as part of their escalating crackdown against civil society, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities should immediately rescind the decision and stop targeting independent voices. In late December 2024, the Ethiopian Authority for Civil Society Organizations, a government body…

Source: Human Rights Watch (HRW) |

Democratic Republic of Congo: Civilians at Risk as M23 Approaches Goma

Humanitarian Situation Rapidly Deteriorating

Civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are at increasing risk as the abusive M23 armed group, supported by the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), approaches Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, Human Rights Watch said today. The M23 is opposed by Congolese military forces and a coalition of abusive militias known as “Wazalendo” (“patriots”…

Source: Human Rights Watch (HRW) |

Central Africa: Crackdowns on Democratic Space

Wartime Abuses Rampant with Little Accountability

Governments in Central Africa suppressed civil and political rights, especially in the context of elections, with impunity in 2024, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2025. In the region’s armed conflicts, both government security forces and nonstate armed groups committed serious violations of international humanitarian law with little fear of being held…

Source: Human Rights Watch (HRW) |

East Africa, Horn: Civilian Suffering in Armed Conflict

Crackdowns on Dissent, Civic Space; Impunity for Abuse

Civilians in East Africa and the Horn bore the brunt of armed conflicts between government forces and opposition armed groups in 2024, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2025. Throughout the region, the authorities have harassed activists and government critics and suppressed dissent.  For the 546-page world report,…

Source: Human Rights Watch (HRW) |

West Africa: Civilians Unprotected in Conflicts

Crackdowns on Dissent, Civic Space; Fewer Opportunities for Justice

Armed groups and government forces in West Africa have committed atrocities with impunity in 2024, with thousands of dead and injured, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2025. For the 546-page world report, in its 35th edition, Human Rights Watch reviewed human rights practices in more than 100…

Source: Human Rights Watch (HRW) |

Cameroon Suspends Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Harming Gender-Based Violence Survivors

Move at Odds with Government Goal to End Violence Against Women

The Cameroonian government in December suspended the activities of four nongovernmental organizations for three months, without any warning or legal basis, in a move that is harming victims of gender-based violence. As one of these organizations provides services to support gender-based violence survivors, its abrupt suspension affected survivors’ access to support and…

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