Reports by reliable sources have it that, all 54 African nations across the continent are demanding an urgent debate from the United Nations (UN).
The request was made by the nations on Friday in a Letter they all signed and addressed to the rights council president, Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger demanding the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to initiate an urgent debate on racism and police brutalities following the George Floyd incident.
The African group is demanding the content of the debate to center on “racially inspired human rights violations, police brutality against people of African descent and the violence against the peaceful protests that call for these injustices to stop.”
The said letter was reportedly written by Burkina Faso’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva which was accepted and signed by all. The coalition of African states requested that this debate be held immediately the council’s 43rd session resumes from the Covid-19 break next week.
According to the proceedings of the council, a request of such nature is only considered by the house when it is backed by at least one state. A council spokesperson told reporters that, the massive support from all the 54 nations “increases the chances” of the debate taking place.
The death of George Floyd in the hands of Minnesota police officers has triggered a whole different discourse on the long standing problem of racial discrimination, especially one against black people.
Aside the ongoing discourse calling for drastic reforms to help thrash-out the ingrained systemic racism, the black lives movement has erupted series of protests across the globe to treat the phenomenon with all the detest it deserves.
The right group has so far focused on the removal of as many symbols of racism as possible and also forced officials to take down some of them in a much peaceful manner.
The hope of many is to see a world without discrimination against people on any ground; one that sees human beings as equal and makes room for a peaceful coexistence. We hope this collective action by the African states brings something meaningful.
