The 85th Forum of NGOs in Africa opened in Banjul on Saturday, bringing together human rights defenders, civil society organizations, and regional advocates to advance justice, equality, and reparations for Africans and people of African descent.
Organized by the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS), the event precedes the 85th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR). It serves as a platform for civil society to shape the human rights agenda across the continent.
ACHPR Chairperson Commissioner Remy Ngoy Lumbu called for the inclusion of individual participants in future forums, emphasizing the need to give direct voice to victims of repression. “Those most affected by human rights violations must be allowed to speak for themselves,” he said. Lumbu described reparations as a “moral and historical obligation” that must extend beyond compensation to include acknowledgment, rehabilitation, and guarantees of non-repetition.
Representing The Gambia’s Minister of Justice, Solicitor General Hussein Thomasi commended the Forum for advancing continental dialogue but cautioned that civic space remains under threat in several African states. “In many countries governed by military regimes or dominant single-party systems, freedoms of expression, assembly, and association are severely curtailed,” he said, urging stronger protections for journalists and human rights defenders.
Addressing the gathering on behalf of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Madam Yvonne Fungai Tawanda Masarakufa reaffirmed the UN’s partnership with African civil society in promoting reparatory justice. “Reparatory justice is not only about the past—it’s about reimagining today’s systems so that future generations inherit dignity, not discrimination,” she said. She outlined OHCHR’s commitment to partnership, protection, and implementation of human rights recommendations.
Mr. Gilbert Sebihogo, Executive Director of the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI), called for closer collaboration between National Human Rights Institutions and civil society. “We cannot do this work alone—collaboration and synergy are key to driving real change on this continent,” he said, urging African states to adopt policy and financial measures for reparations.
Madam Corlette Letlojane of the NGO Forum’s Steering Committee urged African governments and the African Commission to act on reparations and equality. “Reparations are not only about correcting the past but about building a more just and inclusive future,” she said, referencing the Durban Declaration’s recognition of slavery and colonialism as crimes against humanity.
In his opening address, Professor Mabassa Fall, Vice Chairperson of the ACDHRS Governing Council, thanked The Gambia for its hospitality and called for greater inclusivity and dialogue. “The Forum is not a battlefield, it is a bridge between civil society and the African Commission,” he said, urging participants to move from discussions to concrete actions that strengthen human rights protection across Africa.
The Forum continues in Banjul with thematic sessions on reparatory justice, human rights defenders’ protection, and engagement with international human rights mechanisms.
