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Catholic agencies ask UN to protect human rights in Kenya

Caritas Internationalis joined ten other Catholic non-governmental organizations in urging the Kenyan government to help build peace and ensure human rights in the country recovering from its worst ever political crisis, reports CISA News.

A joint paper submitted by the organisations to the 7th Session of the UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva Monday stressed the importance of dialogue among communities, meeting humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable people and ensuring the safe return of those driven from their homes by the post-election violence.

The statement urged the Human Rights Council to draw attention to and help address the human rights crisis, during the 7th Session from 3-28 March 2008.

It also deplored the denial of people’s right to peaceful expression and called for a thorough independent investigation of human rights abuses.

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga signed a deal last week in a bid to end the crisis, in which some 1,500 people died and 600,000 fled their homes.

The joint statement says: “We call on the Government of Kenya to do its utmost to respect, protect and guarantee the enjoyment of all the human rights of the population under its jurisdiction, including their right to life, their right to development, their right not to be submitted to any cruel, degrading or inhuman treatment, their right to work, their right to food, to property and land, their right to education and to fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, to effective remedy and reparation.

“The protection should be based on respect of the human dignity of all people, especially of all the victims of the recent post-election conflict.

“We express our concern about the denial of the freedom of assembly of the Kenyan people to express their opinions. We deplore the dispersion of the peaceful marches by the security forces. We condemn in particular the summary executions, massacres, destructions, rape and the excessive use of force, including by security agents when targeting civilians.

“We emphasize that the use of lethal force, under strict conditions, remains a last resort, in order to protect others’ lives, and that any other use of lethal force is a violation of the right to life.”

Much of the violence brought to the surface simmering tensions between ethnic tribes in Kenya. The organizations called on the government to explore the deeper causes of conflict, including poor governance.

The statement says this should include investigation of corruption cases, discrimination, and lack of equality in wealth and access to resources. The Government should also support those organizations promoting peace and dialogue between different tribes.

The joint statement was submitted by: Caritas Internationalis, Franciscans International, the Center for Migration Studies of New York, Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, Dominicans for Justice and Peace (Order of Preachers), International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations (FEAMC), International Movement of Apostolate in Independent Social Milieus (MIAMSI), International Volunteerism Organization for Women, Education and Development (VIDES), Pax Romana and the Swiss Catholic Lenten Fund.

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[03/12/2008]

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