Blair Visits West Africa

(New York, February 6, 2002) Prime Minister Tony Blair’s trip to West
Africa this week presents a major opportunity for the British government
to affirm its commitment to human rights and to bring international
attention to some of the most pressing issues on the continent, Human
Rights Watch said today.

In a letter sent to Blair that outlines key concerns in two of the
countries he will be visiting,
Nigeria and Sierra Leone, Human Rights
Watch urged him to take advantage of this occasion by
articulating how his
government plans to integrate these concerns into its foreign
policy.

“We are encouraged by Prime Minister Blair’s efforts to turn a
spotlight on the continual crises
that affect millions of Africans
daily, especially at a time when many others in the international
community have turned
inward,” said Peter Takirambudde, executive director of the Africa
Division at Human Rights Watch. “He should use his visit to West Africa
to take the lead in promoting transitions from societies characterized
by violence and impunity to governments that are committed to the equal
protection of human rights.”

Among its main concerns, Human Rights Watch emphasized the need to
implement effective strategies in
Nigeria for dealing with deadly violence related to recurring
intercommunal conflict, vigilantism, and expected tension in the lead-up
to elections in 2003. The Nigerian government’s role in both carrying
out, and failing to prevent, massive violence should be addressed along
with human rights violations committed by non-state actors. This is also
true in Sierra Leone, where efforts to promote stability must focus on
addressing the root causes of war by strengthening the rule of law and
bringing perpetrators to justice.

A copy of the letter to Prime Minister Blair can be found at
http://hrw.org/press/2002/02/blair-ltr020502.htm

For more information on West Africa, please see:

Nigeria: Government Inaction Costs Hundreds of Lives in Jos (HRW Press
Release, December 18, 2001) at
http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/12/Nigeria1218.htm

Funds Urged for Sierra Leone Court (HRW Press Release, July 24, 2001) at
http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/07/un_courts0724.htm

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