Reports

In October 2024, various African countries faced serious human rights challenges, including conflict, displacement, and food insecurity. Countries such as Sudan and Burkina Faso are experiencing alarming violations marked by violence, forced displacements, and widespread arrests. Simultaneously, the United Nations' food agency reports that extended droughts in Southern Africa, intensified by the El Niño, have severely impacted over 27 million people, resulting in the region's worst hunger crisis in decades. This dire situation highlights the urgent need for international attention and intervention to tackle these critical humanitarian issues.

Sudan

“The world has treated Sudan as an invisible crisis, rarely covered in the world press,” stated Tom Perriello, US Special Envoy for Sudan, to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. With limited international support, Sudanese refugees face overwhelming challenges on their own. Since fighting began between Sudan's military and the RSF in April 2023, over 13 million people have been displaced, making it the world’s largest displacement crisis.

People in Sudan are not only dying from violence but also from hunger, disease, and lack of healthcare, resulting in preventable, painful deaths. Estimates indicate the conflict has killed between 15,500 and 150,000 people, with nearly 222,000 children at risk of starvation this year.

The World Food Programme reports that the ongoing conflict in Sudan has left 14 million people facing severe hunger, with 1.5 million at risk of famine. In August, famine was declared in one area of Darfur, and experts warn that 13 more regions could soon follow. Despite having extensive arable land, the escalating violence has disrupted farming activities, pushing the population toward widespread starvation.

Burkina Faso

Human Rights Watch has criticized the Burkina Faso government for failing to address human rights violations in its report to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The report highlights widespread abuses against civilians committed by Burkinabe authorities, security forces, and terrorist groups, which have resulted in significant restrictions on people’s rights and freedoms. 

The rights group alleges that government and military abuses include arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and interference with the judiciary and media. Additionally, Islamist groups are accused of serious violations against civilians, such as summary executions, sexual violence, and abductions, as well as besieging towns and villages. For instance,a recent French government security assessment revealed that al Qaeda-linked militants killed up to 600 individuals in a single August attack on a town in Burkina Faso, nearly doubling the previously reported death toll.

Nigeria

Nigeria is grappling with a severe economic crisis, marked by a staggering 36% inflation rate for food. The removal of fuel subsidies in May 2023 has pushed many citizens into poverty, while officials face accusations of corruption. Nationwide protests under the #EndBadGovernance campaign from August 1 to 10 were violently suppressed, resulting in deaths and mass arrests. Authorities have occasionally portrayed these protests as deliberate attempts to incite violence.

In light of the repression and arrests that occurred during the #FearlessOctober peaceful protests on October 1, which highlighted issues related to the cost of living and poor governance, Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, emphasized the need for change. He stated that the Nigerian authorities must abandon their oppressive methods towards peaceful protests and listen to their critics, especially as the country confronts its worst economic crisis in thirty years.

Democratic Republic of Congo 

Human rights experts warn that the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is worsening, with increasing armed clashes, attacks on schools and hospitals, and rising sexual violence. At the U.N. Human Rights Council, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk urged the international community to focus on the suffering of Congolese civilians amid escalating violence, regional interests, exploitative businesses, and weak governance. 

The conflict has resulted in significant humanitarian crises, with the United Nations reporting that 7.2 million people are internally displaced and nearly 26 million face acute hunger.

Zambia 

Zambia is facing a severe drought that has persisted for over seven months, with the Kariba Dam—its main hydroelectric power source—operating at just 7% capacity. If water levels continue to decline, the dam may soon shut down, leading Zambia to implement power cuts of up to 21 hours a day. The country relies on the Kariba Dam for more than 80% of its electricity. This situation has made access to essential resources like water, food, and healthcare increasingly difficult.

In March, Zambia declared a state of emergency due to the drought, as about one million hectares of the 2.2 million hectares planted with maize were devastated. This highlights the urgent need for effective solutions to address the crisis and its impact on food security and daily life.

Sources

Southern Africa endures its worst hunger crisis in decades. Drought from El Nino to blame, UN says 

'There is nothing': Farmers in Sudan on verge of mass starvation

Millions have escaped Sudan’s civil war. But their nightmare isn’t over

‘In El Fasher you face only death’: Sudan city empties as paramilitaries close in

Human Rights Watch criticizes Burkina Faso for omitting abuses in state report

Massacre in Burkina Faso left 600 dead, double previous estimates, according to French security assessment

Nigeria: Repression of peaceful protest must end

UN Rights Council says human rights in DR Congo on a downward spiral

Zambia’s thirst for solutions in the face of drought

Ongoing African drought has plunged Zambia into daily blackouts as hydroelectric dam unable to run

Written by Sadia Masharuf for Yonsei GSIS Human Rights Hub