October 21 - On Africa Human Rights Day, the President of the Balanta B’urassa History and Genealogy Society in America (BBHAGSIA), Mr. Siphiwe Baleka, who also serves as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Provisional Government of the Republic of New Afrika (PGRNA) submitted a statement to the 81st Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The statement was submitted to and received by Hon. Commissioner Selma Saddi-Safer, Vice Chairperson of the Working Group on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and Special Rapporteur on Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Internally Displaced Persons and Migrants in Africa.
During the session on Monday, Mr. Baleka and Commissioner Saddi-Safer had an informal discussion on the issue of violating AfroDescendamts’ human and peoples’ rights under the African Charter.
“International Law and the Durban Declaration both require African Union member states to pass legislation providing for the immediate and unqualified right of return for members of the African Union 6th Region to effect their ‘full participation’ in developing the continent under the AU Article 3(q) amendment,” said Mr. Baleka. “Any government that is denying or blocking such legislation is guilty of human rights violations of AfroDescendant people.”
Mr. Baleka’s statement highlighted the case of Guinea Bissau and President Umaro Sissoco Embaló recent “superior orders” to block his Council of Ministers from approving the applications of several BBHAGSIA members who applied for citizenship more than two years ago.
The Balanta Society’s statement generated considerable interest from members of the South African delegation and in particular, Lloyd Kuveya, Assistant Director of the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria and Member of the Executive Committee, as well as Dr. Dorcas Basimanyane, Program Coordinator, International Development Law Unit (IDLU) at the same Center for Human Rights. After a vibrant discussion of the issues over dinner, Mr. Baleka shared with them the CONCEPT NOTE FOR SOUTH AFRICAN PERMANENT MISSION IN GENEVA submitted by Mr. Baleka following consultation with H.E. Thembela Ngculu and Portia Mngomezulu during the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, April 17, 2024
Mr. Baleka’s intervention at the 81st Session of the ACHPR was a follow-up to the work of the Mrs. Dr. Barryl A. Biekman, Coordinator of the African Union African Diaspora 6th Region Facilitators Working Group Europe & Co-Facilitator of the Monitoring & Policy Working Group towards the implementation of the Agreements and the aforementioned Addis Ababa Declaration 2022 & Resolution. Dr. Biekman submitted the following letter to Hon. Remy Ngoy Lumbu - Chairperson, ACHPR you n August 14, 2022:
“It is my hope that the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and all the lawyers, jurists and activists gathered here will give their opinion on the legal questions raised in the Request for an Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the status of AfroDescendants under the Geneva Convention and their right to conduct plebiscites for self determination,” Mr. Baleka said.
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Input from lawyer and Professor Dr. Eduardo Lourenço Viana. Unified Black Movement- Movimento Negro Unificado- MNU- Brazil
