The African Union (AU) warned last Thursday against the "erosion of human rights" as governments engage in the fight against terrorism. At the closing of the first-ever AU conference on African national human rights institutions, officials warned that without proper checks, rights could be abused. They said that the fight against terrorism must be balanced with the protection of the rights of people detained as suspects. African governments also faced calls to establish "independent and national" human rights organisations to protect their citizens.