15/10/2026
🇸🇳 From | Day Three of the African Human Rights Session – 14 October 2026
The 89th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights continues for a third day in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, with the participation of government representatives, national institutions, and human rights organizations, including our Belgian organization for human rights and development
The first two days saw a number of important interventions and discussions, alongside consideration of several organizational matters, most notably elections and appointments within the Commission's bodies, in line with the session's agenda.
🔹 Protection of civilians in conflict zones: The Chairperson of the African Commission, Dr. Idrissa Sow, called for prioritizing dialogue and protecting civilian populations, warning of the humanitarian consequences of conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, and Somalia.
🔹 The situation in eastern Congo: The Congolese Minister of Human Rights, Samuel Mbemba, raised the violations and the security and humanitarian conditions in the east of his country, calling for stronger African action to protect civilians.
🔹 Conflict-related sexual violence: Side meetings on 13 October saw calls to combat impunity and to strengthen the protection of survivors and of children born as a result of sexual violence in conflict zones.
🔹 Protection of human rights defenders: One of the sessions addressed the challenges facing defenders of rights and freedoms, and ways to strengthen their protection.
🔹 Women's rights and digital violence: Parallel events featured discussions on technology-facilitated gender-based violence and its impact on women's participation in public and political life.
🔹 Elections and appointments: The session's agenda included discussion of the election or appointment of members and officials of the Commission's bodies and mechanisms, which supports the continuity of its institutional work, while making a clear distinction between what has been formally adopted and what is still under consideration.
This session coincides with the 40th anniversary of the entry into force of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, which gives the discussions particular significance in assessing the course of human rights protection on the continent.
We continue to follow the session's proceedings and take part in its events, out of our commitment to supporting human rights and strengthening cooperation between African and European human rights institutions.
📍 Dakar –
📅 14 October 2026