The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission), meeting at its 82nd Ordinary Session held virtually from 25 February to 11 March 2025;
Recalling its mandate of promotion and protection of human and peoples’ rights in Africa, pursuant to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Charter);
Considering Article 4 of the African Charter, which enshrines the right to life and prohibits its arbitrary deprivation; Article 5, which prohibits torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; and Article 6, which guarantees the right to liberty and to the security of every person;
Considering Article 4 of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa; and Articles 5 and 30 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, which also guarantee the right to life of women and children respectively;Also considering Article 45 (1) (a) of the African Charter which mandates the African Commission to collect documents, undertake studies and research on African problems in the field of human and peoples’ rights;
Further considering General Comment No. 3 on the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights: The Right to Life (Article 4), adopted at its 57th Ordinary Session, held from 4 to 18 November 2015, which provides that States have a heightened responsibility to protect the lives of persons in their custody;
Recalling its Resolution ACHPR/Res. 227(LII) 2012 on the expansion of the mandate of the Working Group on Death Penalty in Africa to include extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary killings with a mandate to, inter alia, undertake studies on issues of relevance to extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary killings, adopted at its 52nd Ordinary Session held from 9 to 22 October 2012 in Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire;
Also recalling its Resolution ACHPR/Res. 408(LXII) 2018 on the expansion of the mandate and composition of the Working Group on Death Penalty and Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Killings in Africa (the Working Group) to include enforced disappearances, adopted at its 63rd Ordinary Session held from 24 October to 13 November 2018 in Banjul, The Gambia;
Further recalling the Resolution on the Need to Conduct a Study on Extrajudicial Executions in Africa – ACHPR/Res.519 (LXXI) which mandated the Working Group on Death Penalty, Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Killings and Enforced Disappearances in Africa to carry out this study in collaboration with the Institute of Human Rights and Peace of the Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar (Senegal);
Recalling Resolution ACHPR.Res.583 (LXXVIII) on the one-year extension of the deadline for conducting a Study on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions in Africa;
Considering that the extension period set for the completion of the Study expires on 13 March 2025;
Mindful of the need to provide the Working Group members with sufficient time to finalise the Draft Study;
The Commission:
1. Decides to extend, by one (1) year, the deadline set for the preparation and presentation of the study; and
2. Calls on all relevant stakeholders to provide the necessary support to the study.
Done on 11 March 2025
