Youth for Human Rights Africa (YoHRA) an Emerging Human Rights Advocacy Project in Africa, has strongly condemned the Military extremist attack in Burkina Faso which led to 18 deaths and many injuries.
At least 18 people were killed in the attack by suspected to have been carried out by Islamist militants at a restaurant popular with foreigners in the capital of Burkina Faso.”
The 18 people –Burkinabes and foreigner- were killed, with about 10 injured in the attack which happened on Sunday, 13th August 2017. Two Canadians, a Turk and a French were among the dead.
The President of Youth For Human Rights Africa (YoHRA), Francis-Xavier Sosu, a famous Human Rights Activist from Ghana called on the international community to intensify efforts to rid the continent of what he described as lawlessness, which has the potential to make the continent unsafe.
“The basic tenet of any progressive society is peaceful coexistence regardless of religious differences,” Mr. Sosu said.
Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Right provides that: “Human beings are inviolable and that every human being shall be entitled to respect for his life and the integrity of his person. No one may be arbitrarily deprived of this right”.
It is also provided by Article 5 that: “Every individual shall have the right to the respect of the dignity inherent in a human being and to the recognition of his legal status. All forms of exploitation and degradation of man, particularly slavery, slave trade, torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment and treatment shall be prohibited”.
And it is again provided in Article 6 that: “Every individual shall have the right to liberty and to the security of his person”
The Human Rights Activist questioned: “How secure are we as Africans if we allow this lawlessness to continue to deprive the life of other Africans in the name of religion.”
“The practice of one person’s religion should not deprive other people their right to life and African states and the world together, have the obligation to bring this lawlessness to an end,” he stated.
Mr. Sosu believes the act is sheer lawlessness clothed in religious sentiments.
