For Immediate Release:

EU-SADC Summit Must Focus on Human Rights
Angola, Congo, Swaziland, Zimbabwe Should Top Agenda

(New York, November 6, 2002) - Safeguarding rights and responding
robustly to the looming humanitarian disaster in southern Africa should
top the agenda at this week's high level ministerial meeting between
members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the
European Union (EU), Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch
highlighted crises in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Angola
and Swaziland that should be addressed at the meeting, which will take
place in Maputo, Mozambique.

"It is vital that the SADC take unambiguous and decisive actions on
human rights issues," said Bronwen Manby, deputy director of the Africa
Division. "Only then will the organization's stated commitments to human
rights be taken seriously."

In Angola, despite the ceasefire implemented this year and ongoing peace
efforts, 1.7 million internally displaced people remain at substantial
risk of abuse by government officials as well as demobilized soldiers.
Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly stressed the need for greater
support for Angola's displaced but both the United Nations and the EU
have done little to ameliorate the situation. "Human Rights Watch is
especially concerned by reports that some people have been forced to
return to their areas of origin despite the ongoing danger in those
regions," said Manby. The dire conditions faced by Angola's displaced
have been deteriorating steadily and are only further compromised by the
substantial challenge of rehabilitating and reintegrating demobilized
combatants into Angolan society. The EU has specifically pledged support
for rehabilitation and reintegration efforts. Human Rights Watch called
on the EU to renew this commitment at the meeting in Maputo.

Human Rights Watch also called on meeting participants to address the
crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The DRC is
SADC's newest member and the site of the worst human rights violations.
Although Rwanda, Uganda and Zimbabwe have withdrawn government troops,
they continue to support warring Congolese rebel factions in the power
struggles that have followed the withdrawal of foreign troops. Hundreds
of civilians have died because of fighting in the provinces of South
Kivu, Ituri and Orientale during the last few weeks alone. Some two
million people in the region have been displaced and most do not have
access to humanitarian assistance.

Human Rights Watch further pressed that the EU-SADC meeting should
pursue actions against Swaziland's highly oppressive monarchy. "Civil
liberties are basically non-existent and civil society is severely
restricted in Swaziland. The monarchy also maintains tight control over
the media," said Manby. A constitution has been in development since
1996 but it is widely believed that the monarchy will use it to
permanently enshrine its absolute power and to prevent future political
opposition. Chief Justices of the SADC region recently issued a
statement concerning threats to the independence of the judiciary after
senior officials of the Swaziland government (including members of the
security forces) attempted to interfere with court proceedings on the
alleged abduction of a young woman by emissaries of the Royal Household.

Rights abuse has also continued in Zimbabwe. Human Rights Watch urged
SADC and the EU to speak out publicly and privately against the violence
and harassment that have characterized Zimbabwean elections. In recent
weeks, a parliamentary by-election in Matabeleland South was marred by
allegations of intimidation of the opposition Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC) candidate and supporters. There have also been reports of
government forces harassing non-governmental organizations and the
media. In October, Zimbabwean police allegedly tortured and "seriously
injured" the leader of a teachers' trade union who called a strike,
according to his lawyer. The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO forum has
reported 58 murders in political violence during 2002.

Humanitarian crises have been threatening for several months in southern
Africa. Human Rights Watch urged the EU and SADC to use this meeting to
coordinate and redouble efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to
alleviate the critical food shortage in southern Africa.

"Those present at the Maputo meeting should work towards a quick
intervention before the situation gets even worse," said Manby.

For more information, please contact:

In London, Bronwen Manby: +44-207-713-2789
In New York, Peter Takirambudde: +1-212-216-1834
In Brussels, Jean-Paul Marthoz: +322-732-2009

--
Jeff Scott
Africa Division
Human Rights Watch
Phone: +1-212-216-1834
Fax: +1-212-736-1300
http://www.hrw.org/africa/index.php
en français, http://www.hrw.org/french/africa/