A regional conference on human rights protection mechanisms in the Sahel in the context of insecurity opened on Tuesday at the Bravia Hotel in Niamey, bringing together participants from Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali.
This meeting aims to raise awareness among stakeholders on good practices in the protection of human rights and to strengthen their capacities on mechanisms and tools for the prevention of violations of these rights.
Thus, the conference aims to improve good governance and the rule of law by strengthening the capacities of internal and external control institutions to enable them to fully play their respective roles and missions.
The President of the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), Mr. Maty Elhadji Moussa, who presided over the inaugural session, recalled that “this insecurity is particularly rampant on the three borders of Mali, Burkina Faso,, and Niger, which are experiencing massive human rights violations not only by unidentified armed groups but also by certain elements of the Defence and Security Forces (FDS) fighting against this insecurity.
In this regard, Mr. Maty Elhadji Moussa said that inter-community dialogue through mediation and judicialization of military operations is necessary to preserve and protect human rights.
Thus, the official stressed that the establishment and maintenance of a climate of trust between the defense and security forces and the population as well as a patriotic commitment of all the sons of the Sahel against this terrorist barbarism would be a great contribution to address the insecurity that affects this common space.
For her part, Ms. Anne Benette, Africa Director of the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF), explained that her institution has been working with its national partners in the Sahel since 2009 and in Niger since 2014 and believes that the commitment of all partners to reform and good governance of the security sector in the Sahel is essential.
The Africa Director of DCAF stressed that sharing experiences and knowledge is essential to address common challenges and to improve the collective response to security challenges that threaten the rule of law and respect for human rights in the Sahel.
This regional conference on human rights protection mechanisms in the Sahel in a context of insecurity is organized by the National Human Rights Commission of the Centre for Security Sector Governance, Geneva, with the financial support of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.