Government Withdraws Support for ACHPR

The Independent (Banjul)
NEWS
October 18, 2002
Posted to the web October 18, 2002

By Omar Bah
Banjul

The APRC government has withdrawn support for the African Commission on Human
and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR), which has its headquarters in Banjul.

According to ACHPR officials who called a press conference Wednesday to
announce the government's decision to withdraw its support in the form of
monetary assistance for the Commission to hold an international conference at
the Kairaba Beach Hotel. The officials in what could pass of as a protest said
the government's action has temporarily stalled the holding of the ordinary
session of the Commission to whose protocols the government is a signatory.

According to the protocols, all states of the African Union, which are parties
to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights are mandated by the
Commission to provide office and conference facilities for its works in their
respective countries.

The dismay of the Commission's officials was evident at the press briefing.

Germain Baricako, the Commission's Secretary told journalists that as a result
of the government withdrawal of support a two-week conference by the Commission
has been reduced to a one-day programme.

'It is humanly impossible to cancel the session, as state delegates have
already arrived in the country to attend the conference', he said, although the
time would be inadequate to discuss pertinent issues.

Asked what was the reason forwarded by the government for its decision Mr.
Baricako, said, the only reason advanced was financial difficulty.

But he declined to comment, when quizzed on whether the government had notified
them of its financial problems.

On what action the Commission was going to take against The Gambia government
for neglecting its part of the protocols committing it to supporting the
Commission he said they were expecting the government to be cognizant of their
obligations and would change tack soon.

The mandate of the Commission includes the promotion through information and
education, institutional cooperation, consultative and near legislative
functions and supervisory functions. It also ensures the protection of human
and peoples' rights under the conditions and procedures laid down by the
African Charter and the Commission's rules of procedures.

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