Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA)

19/08/2026

📸 12 DAYS TO GO!

Have you submitted your photos yet? Don’t be left out!

This is your chance to tell a powerful human rights story through an image and showcase the realities, resilience, courage and hopes of people across Africa.

We are accepting submissions from photographers across Africa.

🏆 PRIZES
🥇 1st Prize: USD 1,000 + travel to Dakar, Senegal + exhibition + trophy & certificate
🥈 2nd Prize: USD 500 + certificate + exhibition
🥉 3rd Prize: USD 300 + certificate + exhibition

🔎 Learn more: https://ihrda.org/en/the-ihrda-pan-african-human-rights-photography-competition/

14/08/2026

Press Release

The Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA), on behalf of five Nigerian travelers, has filed a case before the ECOWAS Court of Justice against the Republic of Cabo Verde over the alleged arbitrary denial of entry into the country.

The filing comes against the backdrop of broader concerns regarding the treatment of African nationals in Cabo Verde.

Read more: https://ihrda.org/en/ihrda-files-major-case-on-the-alleged-violation-of-the-rights-of-five-nigerian-travelers-by-authorities-in-cabo-verde/

13/08/2026

12/08/2026

Joint Statement: Equatorial Guinea Must Protect Deported Migrants and Lawyers Facing Threats

IHRDA has joined four partner organisations in calling on the Government of Equatorial Guinea to urgently protect third-country nationals deported from the United States who are reportedly facing arbitrary detention, physical abuse, inadequate medical care and barriers to accessing legal representation.

We are also alarmed by reports that lawyers attempting to represent these individuals have faced intimidation and threats, undermining access to justice and due process.

Together, we urge the authorities to:
✔ End all ill-treatment and intimidation.
✔ Ensure detainees have prompt access to lawyers of their choice.
✔ Provide continuous medical care.
✔ Respect the principle of non-refoulement and protect the rights of everyone under their jurisdiction.

📖 Read the full statement here: https://ihrda.org/en/equatorial-guinea-protect-deported-migrants-and-lawyers-facing-threats-and-intimidation/

11/08/2026

Today, the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA), in partnership with UNICEF Gambia and the Gambia Press Union, kicked off a two-day capacity-building workshop for journalists in The Gambia on Children’s Rights and Ethical Reporting.

The workshop forms part of a broader initiative aimed at strengthening the capacity of journalists to report accurately, ethically and responsibly on issues affecting children, while ensuring that children’s rights, dignity and voices are respected in media coverage.

Speaking at the opening, IHRDA Executive Director, Dr. Musa Kika, acknowledged the importance of the partnership with UNICEF Gambia and the Gambia Press Union in raising awareness of children’s rights and promoting ethical reporting among journalists. He noted that strengthening the media’s understanding of children’s rights can contribute significantly to the promotion and protection of children’s rights in The Gambia.

Officially opening the workshop, Hon. Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, underscored the powerful role journalists play in shaping how society understands issues affecting children.

“A journalist’s pen and equipment can change a child’s life. It can give a child a voice when no one is listening, bring attention to neglect and violence, and mobilise society to act.”

The two-day workshop will explore key principles of child-sensitive journalism, ethical storytelling, children’s participation, safeguarding, privacy and dignity, as well as practical approaches to reporting on issues affecting children.

06/08/2026

🎙️ Listen to our podcast!

Corruption doesn't just drain public resources; it denies children their right to education.

Across many African countries, funds intended for free education, teachers' salaries, and essential learning materials are diverted through corruption, leaving millions of learners without the quality education they deserve. This is not just poor governance; it is a clear violation of the right to education.

In this episode of The Human Rights Dialogues Africa, we explore the far-reaching human rights impacts of corruption and why tackling it is essential to protecting the rights and dignity of all.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/65esZrP49JPcOexCbA6O2n?si=eduYwS9mSamUNWZzSdB2Ig

05/08/2026

Case Spotlight

On 5 February 2025, the African Court on Human and Peoples'​ Rights delivered a historic judgment in Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA), and Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) v United Republic of Tanzania (Application No. 019/2018): https://caselaw.ihrda.org/en/entity/p1iyimlr8f?searchTerm=019%2F2018&page=1

The decision marks a major milestone in protecting the rights of persons with albinism in Africa. It represents one of the most comprehensive judgments ever issued by the Court on the rights of a vulnerable and marginalized group. Importantly, this decision is now one of only three in the African human rights system directly addressing the rights of persons with disabilities, and the judgment is now the locus classicus on the subject.

For decades, persons with albinism in Tanzania have lived under the threat of violence, discrimination, social exclusion, and harmful stereotypes. In this landmark ruling, the African Court held Tanzania accountable for failing to adequately protect persons with albinism and ordered a series of far-reaching reforms aimed at addressing the root causes of these violations.

The judgment is significant not only for persons with albinism in Tanzania, but also for communities across Africa facing discrimination, violence, and exclusion. It sends a powerful message that states have a duty to take proactive measures to protect vulnerable groups and ensure that all people can enjoy their rights equally and with dignity.

Read more: https://ihrda.org/en/litigation/

04/08/2026

Statelessness is more than the absence of a passport

On 2 August 2025, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) formally communicated a landmark decision in Afekuru Animu Risasi Amitai v Republic of South Sudan(Animu case). Filed by the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA) in October 2021, the African Commission found that South Sudan had arbitrarily deprived Ms Animu of her South Sudanese nationality without due process, violating the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

While not every undocumented person is stateless, the absence of proof of nationality significantly increases the risk of statelessness and arbitrary exclusion from the protection of the State. Without recognised nationality, people frequently struggle to obtain identity documents, enrol in school, access healthcare, own property, secure formal employment, open bank accounts or travel legally. They may be unable to register births, marriages or deaths, leaving future generations equally vulnerable to exclusion.

Read more:https://ihrda.org/en/one-year-on-south-sudan-must-end-arbitrary-deprivation-of-citizenship-and-confront-statelessness/

03/08/2026

📸 Can one photograph inspire justice?

📢 The IHRDA Pan-African Human Rights Photography Competition is officially open!

We are inviting photographers from across Africa to capture powerful images that tell the stories of human rights, resilience, dignity, and hope. Through your lens, help shine a light on the realities, challenges, and triumphs that shape communities across the continent.

🏆 Exciting prizes await the top winners!

🗓️ Submission Period: 1 August – 30 August 2026

Whether you're a professional photographer or an emerging visual storyteller, this is your opportunity to showcase your work on a continental platform and contribute to advancing human rights through the power of photography.

Read the Full Guidelines Here: https://ihrda.org/en/the-ihrda-pan-african-human-rights-photography-competition/

Submit your Entries Here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfMAiZp_rETDtGdUKRDAqH4ekXqXZM8jd9qHYr2dR9IZvxgdw/viewform

The 20 highest-scoring photographs will be professionally exhibited during the IHRDA Networking Reception in Dakar, Senegal, in October 2026.

31/07/2026

🎙️ We're excited to launch The Human Rights Dialogues!

This new podcast series from IHRDA brings together leading experts to discuss the ideas, challenges and developments shaping human rights across Africa.

In our inaugural episode, IHRDA's Executive Director, Dr Musa Kika, sits down with Professor Prosper Simbarashe Maguchu to explore a compelling question:

Can strategic human rights litigation become one of the most effective tools in Africa's fight against corruption?

Together, they discuss why corruption should be viewed not only as a criminal justice issue, but also as a human rights issue, and how strategic litigation can help deliver accountability, justice and lasting reform.

🎥 In this short clip, Professor Maguchu shares his thoughts on one of the biggest obstacles to litigating corruption: what happens when corruption has become so deeply entrenched that the state itself has been captured?

Listen to the preview below, then listen to the full episode on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/65esZrP49JPcOexCbA6O2n?si=185pIrQySEepd0C8eLJ82g&nd=1&dlsi=220391f4d2224e6c

This is just the first of many conversations we look forward to sharing with you.

🎧 Join us on The Human Rights Dialogues as we explore the issues shaping the future of human rights in Africa.