INTERSESSION ACTIVITY REPORT
(October 2024-April 2025)
Presented by
THE HONOURABLE COMMISSIONER IDRISSA SOW
CHAIRPERSON OF THE WORKING GROUP ON THE DEATH PENALTY,
EXTRAJUDICIAL, SUMMARY OR ARBITRARY KILLINGS AND ENFORCED
DISAPPEARANCES IN AFRICA
83rd Ordinary session of the ACHPR
Banjul, The Gambia, 2-22 May 2025
INTRODUCTION
1. This report is submitted in accordance with Rules 25 (3) and 64 of the Rules of Procedure 2020 of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (the Commission) and section 3 (d) of the Rules Governing the Establishment and Functioning of the Special Mechanisms of the Commission. It covers the activities carried out during the intersession period from October 2024 to April 2025.
2. The report consists of four chapters. Chapter I provides an overview of the situation of the death penalty, extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary killings and enforced disappearances in Africa. Chapter II covers the activities carried out in my capacity as Chairperson of the Working Group on the Death Penalty, Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Killings and Enforced Disappearances in Africa (Working Group) and as a member of other special mechanisms; Chapter
III covers the activities carried out in my capacity as Commissioner-Country Rapporteur; and finally Chapter IV is devoted to conclusions and recommendations.
Chapter I: The situation of the death penalty, extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary killings and enforced disappearances in Africa
A. The death penalty
3. During the period under review, Zimbabwe abolished the death penalty; thus out of the 54 States Parties to the Charter, 25 have abolished the death penalty for all crimes , 4 for ordinary crimes, and 15 observe a moratorium on executions. . During the same period, Zambia ratified without reservation the 2nd Optional
Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on the Abolition of the Death Penalty , thereby expressing its desire to abolish the death penalty for all crimes.
4. In December 2024, 33 African countries, compared to 17 in 2007, voted in favour of the United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty. Kenya, Morocco and Zambia, which had always abstained, voted in favour of the resolution. Ghana and Liberia, which voted in favour of the resolution for the first time in 2022, confirmed their positive vote in 2024. The Democratic Republic of the Congo switched from voting against to abstaining, and the Central African Republic shifted from voting in favour to abstaining. Gabon, Sao Tomé and Principe, Seychelles and Somalia, which abstained or were absent in 2022, voted in favour of the resolution.
5. According to information we have received, at least 34 executions were carried out in Somalia and at least two in Egypt in 2024. In the same year, 14 countries in sub-Saharan Africa passed death sentences.
6. As regards the Democratic Republic of Congo, the concerns expressed in our last report about the consequences of lifting the moratorium on the use of the death penalty still persist. The number of death sentences passed by the criminal courts has increased significantly, from 33 cases in 2023 to more than 300 in 2024.
7. The Working Group, through me, reiterates its call for a return to the dynamics of maintaining the moratorium on executions which, prior to the decision to lift it, had been in place in this country since 2003.
8. In its specific mandate to protect and promote the right to life, the Working Group remains firmly committed to all States Parties and continues to urge States that still practice the death penalty to consider introducing or strengthening strict moratoria on executions and to agree to measures for the commutation of death sentences.
9. With regard to those States that have chosen to retain the death penalty in their legislation, we would like to point out that the Commission, in its General Comment No. 3 on the right to life (Article 4 of the Charter), has clearly indicated that the death penalty should be imposed only for the most serious crimes.
Study on the death penalty
10. In November 2011, the Commission adopted a study on the situation of the death penalty in Africa. This reference document has become outdated in some respects and needs to be updated to take account of developments and address new issues that have arisen since its adoption. For this reason, the Commission decided a few years ago to revise it. The work, which was initiated in collaboration with the
Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, is currently being finalised. The first draft of the study was examined in November 2024 and a second validation meeting is scheduled for next June.
11. In this regard, our working group is still open to receiving contributions from various actors and stakeholders to further broaden the perspectives and information contained in this document.
Draft Protocol to the African Charter on the Abolition of the Death Penalty
12. The steps taken to reach consensus on the draft Protocol continue to be favourably viewed by several States. In addition, there has been considerable support from the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), which, in a resolution adopted on 5 July 2024 expressed its commitment to work with the Commission and all other stakeholders to facilitate the adoption of the draft Protocol by the deliberative bodies of the African Union.
13. We still await its inclusion on the agenda of the Specialised Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs. We take this opportunity to call on the States Parties to the African Charter to support the early adoption of the draft.
B. Enforced disappearances
14. The issue of enforced disappearances remains a central concern in the implementation of the general promotion and protection mandate entrusted to the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights.
15. Thus, the opportunities provided by the periodic reporting sessions and promotional visits are used to encourage States Parties to adopt specific texts on the prevention and punishment of the crime of enforced disappearance.
16. We note with deep concern that we have received numerous reports of enforced disappearances in several countries.
17. The monthly reports from the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) indicate 347 cases of abductions in the second half of 2024.
18. In Burkina Faso, the Working Group has received reports of the disappearance of the journalists Luc Pagbelguem, Guézouma Sanogo and Boukari Ouoba since 24 March 2025. In a video broadcast in the press (France 24 on 7 April 2025), the three journalists reappeared in military uniforms, suggesting that they had been recruited into the defence and security forces.
19. We have also been informed of the abduction of three human rights defenders, namely Madou Sawadogo alias "le Tche" and Miphal Ousmane Lankoandé, two members of Balai Citoyen who disappeared on 21 and 30 March 2025 respectively, and Boukary Sidibé, who disappeared in the first week of April 2025
20. We have also learned that between 18 and 22 March, five members of the Servir et Non Se Servir movement, namely the journalist Idrissa BARRY, Mr. Anselme Sawadogo, representative of Wallonie Bruxelles in Burkina Faso, Dr Richard Koalga, a doctor at the Tenkodogo CHU, Ms. Judith Tiendrebeogo, employee of the Embassy in Ouagadougou, and Ms. Laurentine Ye, a businesswoman, were also reported missing.
21. We have also been informed of the abduction of Romuald Yaro, Deputy SecretaryGeneral of the Patriotic Front movement, on 30 March 2025, and of two members of the family of the opposition politician Djibril Basolé, former Minister for Foreign Affairs, including his daughter Bagayoko Yasmine Basolé, between 11 and 16 September 2024.
22. Mamadou Billo Bah and Foniké Menguè have not been seen in the Republic of Guinea since 9 July 2024. Our urgent appeal to the Guinean authorities launch an impartial and credible investigation into their disappearance has not yet received an official reaction.
23. The journalist Habib Marouane Camara has also been missing since 3 December 2024.
24. Several cases of enforced disappearance have been reported in Kenya, Burundi and the Republic of Congo.
25. The Working Group, without taking a position on the substance of the alleged facts, remains seized of these reported cases and reiterates its request to the governments of the States parties concerned to open impartial investigations to establish the causes, initiate appropriate search operations to find the victims and, where appropriate, offer reparation to the families affected.
26. We urge the governments of the States concerned to respect the rights of human rights defenders at all times, to guarantee a favourable environment for their legitimate action to promote and defend their rights, and to cease all forms of pressure against them.
C. Extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary killings
27. The Working Group notes with concern that all e gations of extrajudicial killings perpetrated, most often in the context of security or law enforcement operations, were reported during the period under review Burkina Faso, Chad, the Central African Republic, the DRC, Congo and Burundi.
28. In the Congo, we have received reports of extrajudicial executions in the eradication of “black babies”, a term referring to young people who sow terror in the capital with bladed weapons.
29. At this stage, the Working Group has not reached any conclusions on the substance of the allegations but remains seized of the cases brought to its attention until it has sufficient information to take a definitive position. In the context of its interaction with the States concerned, several initiatives have been taken to shed light on these allegations.
Study on extrajudicial killings
30. The Working Group, in collaboration with the Institut des Droits de l'Homme et de la Paix of the Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, has launched a study to assess the extent and consequences of extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary killings on the continent. A preparatory meeting for the study was held in November 2024. In accordance with resolution ACHPR.Res.622 (LXXXII) 2025 of March 2025, arrangements have been made to complete the proposed study in the first quarter of 2026.
Chapter II: Activities as Commissioner and Chairperson of the Working Group
Participation in Commission Sessions and other activities
31. I attended the 81st Ordinary Session held in Banjul, The Gambia from 17 October to 6 November 2024, the 37th Extraordinary Session held in Dakar, Senegal from 2 to 6 December 2024, and the 82nd Ordinary Session held virtually from 25 February to 11 March 2025, during which the Commission adopted several documents, considered reports and took decisions on various Communications.
32. During the 81st Ordinary Session, we organised a panel discussion on the issue of enforced disappearances in Africa. This panel underlined the importance of cooperation between the expert mandates and the mutual enrichment of the recommendations formulated by the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council and the ACHPR, in particular, to highlight the prevention and eradication of enforced disappearances on the African continent.
33. From 14 to 17 January 2025, I participated in the First World Congress against Enforced Disappearances, at the invitation of the United Nations Committee competent in this field. On that occasion, I delivered a speech describing the African dynamics in the fight against the crime of enforced disappearances. I took the opportunity to reiterate the need for States to take the most appropriate measures to prevent and eliminate acts or situations that may lead to enforced disappearance. I take the opportunity afforded by the presentation of this report to reiterate my solemn commitment to support any initiative by African civil society aimed at fighting more effectively against the phenomenon of enforced disappearances on our continent.
34. In February 2025, I participated in the work of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa as part of a delegation led by the Chairperson of the Commission and including, in particular, the Vice-Chairperson and the Executive Secretary. The report on this mission will be made by the Honourable Commissioner, Chairperson of the Commission.
Letters of urgent appeal
35. On 16 October 2024, I co-signed a Letter of Urgent Appeal to H.E. Félix Tshisekedi-Tshilombo, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, concerning the alleged murder, attempted assassination and violation of the rights of human rights defenders by agents of the State. The targeted defenders had denounced the spoliation of land in South Kivu. We urged the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to carry out prompt, independent and impartial investigations to establish responsibility and bring the perpetrators to justice, and to take appropriate measures to put an end to reprisals against human rights defenders.
36. On 18 November 2024 we sent a Letter of Urgent Appeal to H.E. Félix TshisekediTshilombo, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, following the allegations of the enforced disappearance of Jacques Sinzahera and Gloire Saasita, two human rights defenders. We called on the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to conduct a search with a view to locating these two human rights defenders and to launch prompt, impartial and independent judicial investigations to identify and prosecute those involved in these disappearances.
37. On 31 January 2025, I co-signed with the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information a letter of urgent appeal addressed to H.E. General Mamady Doumbouya, President of the Transition in Guinea, concerning the enforced disappearance of the journalist Habib Marouane Camara, director of the news website "Le Révélateur 24", who has not been seen since his abduction on 03 December 2024. We appealed to the Government of Guinea to conduct prompt, impartial and independent investigations to identify the perpetrators of the abduction, and to ensure that the application of national laws reflects the absolute prohibition of the crime of enforced disappearance.
38. On 3 February 2025, I signed a letter of urgent appeal addressed to H.E. Marshal Mahamat Idriss Déby, President of the Republic of Chad, following the allegations of arbitrary killings and arrests of demonstrators in Laramanaye on 14 January 2025. I urged the authorities to carry out independent and impartial investigations into the deaths of the four demonstrators in order to bring the perpetrators to justice, to release those arrested for taking part in the demonstrations and to refrain from all forms of intimidation and harassment, including judicial harassment, of demonstrators.
39. On 21 February 2025, I co-signed with the Chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights a letter of urgent appeal to H.E. General Assimi Goïta, President of the Transitional Government of the Republic of Mali, concerning, inter alia, the enforced disappearance since 5 February 2025 of Mr. Daouda Magassa, a member of the Coordination of Movements, Associations and Followers of Imam Mahmoud Dicko. We have requested the Malian Government to conduct a search in order to locate and release Mr. Daouda Magassa, and to carry out a prompt, impartial and independent judicial investigations to identify those responsible for his enforced disappearance
40. On 14 March 2025, I signed a letter of urgent appeal addressed to H.E. Captain Ibrahim Traoré, President of the Transitional Government of the Republic of Burkina Faso, following the massacre of hundreds of civilians in Solenzo on 10 and 11 March 2025. I called on the Government of Burkina Faso to conduct independent and impartial investigations into this attack, with a view to identifying and bringing to justice the alleged perpetrators and their accomplices. I also urged the Burkina Faso authorities to take the necessary measures to ensure that these serious acts of violence are not repeated.
41. On 02 April 2025, I co-signed with the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, a letter of urgent appeal to H.E. Captain Ibrahim Traoré, President of the Transitional Government of Burkina Faso, after receiving information about the alleged abduction of the journalists Guézouma Sanogo and Boukari Ouoba. We called on the Government of Burkina Faso to shed light on the abduction and arbitrary detention of the two journalists and to take all reasonable measures to ensure their immediate release.
42. We regret that, to date, we have not received any official response to our questions from the authorities concerned.
Press releases
43. I issued a press release on the occasion of the World Day against the Death Penalty on 10 October 2024 expressing the Working Group's commitment to engaging all State and non-State actors in societal discussions on the issue of the death penalty. Exchanges and discussions on these issues will certainly help to dispel misperceptions that tend to establish a clear link between the application of the death penalty and security issues in general.
44. On 26 December 2024, I issued a press release, together with the Country Rapporteur, on the alleged enforced disappearance of 29 people in Kenya since June 2024. We called on the authorities to investigate all reported cases, to protect and provide immediate assistance to the victims’ families, strengthen the independence and operational capacity of the oversight bodies and take steps to bring those responsible to justice.
Chapter III Activities as Country Rapporteur
45. This part of the report deals with the human rights situation in the countries covered by my portfolio in my capacity as Commissioner-Country Rapporteur.
46. Pursuant to Resolution ACHPR/Res. 495 (LXIX) of 2021, as amended at the 77th
Ordinary Session, I have been appointed Commissioner-Rapporteur for Burkina Faso, the Republic of Guinea, the Central African Republic, Chad and the Union of Comoros
A. Burkina Faso
47. Burkina Faso continues to face security challenges. Despite the efforts of the Burkina Faso authorities to protect civilians, terrorist attacks continue to disrupt daily life in the affected areas, resulting in the loss of many lives and significant material damage.
48. During the reporting period, terrorist attacks occurred in many parts of the country. There were also reports of attacks on Fulani villages by government forces and vigilante groups.
49. In this context, we note that the exact circumstances of the massacre of civilians in the locality of Solenzo in March 2025 have not yet been clarified. We are still awaiting a response to our letter of urgent appeal to the Government of Faso following this tragic event. The Commission will continue to monitor the situation in the hope that the authorities of this country will take appropriate measures to shed light on these serious events and ensure improved security for the civilian population, which is also exposed to the atrocities of terrorist groups.
50. We have also been informed of cases of despoilment of cattle belonging to herders men. We also received information that, since April 2025, some 3,000 head of cattle have been stolen from herders in various parts of the country for resale in neighbouring countries, in particular Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Togo.
51. We call for an impartial investigation into these attacks, and all other human rights violations against civilians, in order to identify and bring to justice the alleged perpetrators and their accomplices. We also urge Burkina Faso's neighbours to take appropriate measures to put an end to the cross-border trafficking in stolen livestock
52. During the reporting period, one association was dissolved and another suspended. On 25 March 2025, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Mobility dissolved the Association of Journalists of Burkina Faso after its president denounced violations of freedoms and the military's stranglehold on the public media. We recall that freedom of association and expression are essential to the exercise of other human rights and constitute a criterion of pluralist democracy that allows for development and diversity.
B. Guinea
53. An unconstitutional change of government took place in the Republic of Guinea on 5 September 2021. The constitutional referendum, originally scheduled for 2024, has been postponed until 21 September 2025.
54. Restrictions on freedom of expression and demonstration continued during the reporting period, with the continued suspension of five media outlets, while restrictions on access to social media networks (Facebook, WhatsApp) and jamming of private radio stations have been imposed since November 2024. On 14 March 2025, the government suspended 28 political parties.
55. Reports received also mention the systematic banning of opposition and civil society demonstrations since 13 May 2022 and the repression of unauthorised demonstrations, which resulted in the deaths of at least 59 demonstrators since 2022, including 20 in 2024.
56. Mr. Sadou Nimaga, former Secretary General of the Ministry of Mines, has been missing since 19 October 2024. We have received information that Abdoul Sacko, who was abducted from his home on 19 February 2025, was found a few hours later in a critical condition, having been tortured and abandoned by his captors on the roadside.
57. We recall that freedom of expression is essential for the exercise of other human rights and is a criterion of pluralist democracy, allowing for development and diversity.
58. We also recall that, according to Article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, the right to regular, free, fair and credible elections is the most sacred of democratic norms and serves as the principal means of exercising the right of citizens to participate in the conduct of public affairs.
59. We reiterate our concern expressed in the letters of urgent appeals addressed to the transitional authorities following the disturbing disappearance of Mamadou Billo Bah and Foninké Mengué in July 2024 and the journalist Habib Marouane Camara in December 2024. We are also monitoring the case of the alleged enforced disappearance of Mr. Sadou Nimaga, former Secretary General of the Ministry of Mines.
60. We call on the Government of the Republic of Guinea to launch searches and investigations to locate these people who have allegedly been abducted by armed individuals.
61. We welcome the adoption of the Decree of 26 March 2925 on compensation for the victims of the massacre of 28 September 2009 following the conviction at first instance of Captain Dadis Camara and seven of his co-defendants. We have received allegations that the list of persons to be compensated excludes many victims who were civil parties in the trial. We call on the government to guarantee reparation to all victims of the 28 September 2009 massacre.
C. Central African Republic
62. Armed conflict continues in some parts of the country, resulting in human rights violations. During the reporting period the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) recorded 833 human rights violations, human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law (IHL), affecting 1,269 civilian victims (including 138 women, 98 girls, 201 boys and 89 groups of collective victims). State actors were responsible for 66% of the human rights violations (547) and 63% of the victims (805). Documented human rights violations and abuses include: deprivation of liberty and harsh detention conditions (25%), the right to physical and mental integrity (24%), the right to property (18%), the right to life (9%) and conflict-related sexual violence (10%).
63. In the prefectures of Vakaga, Bamingui-Bangoran, Haute-Kotto and Ouaka, which are hosting the majority of Sudanese refugees, the security situation on the main roads and in the sub-prefectures continues to be marked by serious human rights violations perpetrated by armed men, complicating the humanitarian response.
64. We call on the relevant authorities to take measures to guarantee the safety of the population and their property.
65. On 27 December 2024, the National Assembly of the Central African Republic adopted a law on the protection of human rights defenders. We congratulate the Central African Republic on the adoption of this law, which is essential for human rights defenders to be able to continue their activities in the defence and promotion of human rights without fear of persecution or reprisals.
66. On 30 December 2024, the President of the Central African Republic appointed the members of the Selection Committee of the Truth, Justice, Reparation and Reconciliation Commission (CVJRR), composed of representatives of the National Assembly, the government, civil society and the African Union. All 11 members of the CVJRR were dismissed on 3 May 2024, following a mission by its vice-president to Nola, in the south-west of the country, to collect "testimonies on the deadly events that took place between 2012 and 2016" . We call on the government to respect the independence of the CVJRR.
67. The regional and local elections, initially scheduled for October 2024, were postponed first to 6 April 2025 and then to August 2025.15 The reason for the postponement is said to be related to security constraints and the mobilisation of financial resources needed to organise the elections. Given the importance of these elections in the ongoing process of institutional stabilisation, we call on stakeholders to support the common fund for the financing of these elections.
D. Chad
68. On 29 December 2025, Chad will hold parliamentary, provincial and local elections, which the opposition intends to boycott, raising suspicions of fraud. The last parliamentary elections were held in 2011. The Assembly was due to be renewed in 2015, but successive postponements were justified by the jihadist threat, financial difficulties, the Covid-19 epidemic and the transition followed after the death of President Idriss Deby Itno.
69. Several legislative initiatives to improve human rights are underway. These include Decree no. 7124 of 11 July 2023 from the Prime Minister of the Transition establishing a commission to review the draft Personal and Family Code, which is proceeding with its work; a bill on the Children's Code and a bill on the protection of human rights defenders, which are currently under review; and the commitment made during the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in January 2024 to amend the press law without delay in order to guarantee the full exercise of freedoms in this area.
70. We welcome these initiatives and call for their swift conclusion with the adoption of legislation in line with international standards.
71. We note, however, that the announced international investigations into the tragic events of 20 October 2022, which resulted in the deaths of more than 200 people during a public demonstration, has not yet been opened.
72. We also call on the Government of Chad to open an impartial investigation to shed full light on the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr. Yaya Dillo, the political leader killed in the attack on his party's headquarters on 28 February 2024.
73. We reiterate our call on the Chadian authorities to shed light on the allegations of arbitrary killings and arrests of demonstrators in Laramanaye on 14 January 2025, and to release those arrested for their participation in the demonstrations.
74. In our last report, we called on the Chadian Government to put an end to the secret detention of Mr. Ismael Ngakoutou, Deputy General Manager of Commercial Bank of Chad. During the period under review, we received reports of his release.
E. Union of the Comoros
75. Parliamentary elections were held in the Comoros on 12 January, but were boycotted by a significant part of the opposition. The ruling Convention pour le Renouveau des Comores won 31 of the 33 seats up for election. An amendment to the electoral law in 2023 increased the number of seats from 24 to 33. The country held local elections on 16 February 2025.
76. The report on the first promotional mission to the country, which took place from 16 to 20 September 2024, was sent to the Comorian Government on 17 March for observations before publication.
77. We call on the national authorities to act swiftly on the commitment to submit the initial report of the Union of the Comoros, in accordance with the obligations arising from Article 62 of the African Charter.
Chapter IV: Conclusions and Recommendations
78. The Commission remains committed to working with Member States, African Union organs and partners, including civil society and academia. Together with these partners, it will continue to promote the adoption of the draft Protocol to the Charter on the abolition of the death penalty, to contribute to the development of a knowledge base through studies, and to engage in advocacy and policy dialogue on the death penalty, extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary killings and enforced disappearances in Africa.
79. The Commission has already produced Guidelines on Enforced Disappearances in Africa, which it intends to disseminate further. In the same vein, a revised study on the death penalty and a study on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary killings are in preparation to provide actors and decision-makers with a tool for advocacy and decision-making in these areas.
80. To maintain this momentum, the Working Group makes the following recommendations:
To the States Parties :
a. In countries where the death penalty still exists :
i. Observe a moratorium on the use of the death penalty in accordance with resolution ACHPR/Res.42(XXVI)99
ii. Suspend the execution of prisoners sentenced to death and commute their sentences to lesser penalties.
b. Support and participate in efforts to adopt the draft Protocol to the African Charter on the Abolition of the Death Penalty;
c. Take steps to ensure the dissemination and effective implementation of the Guidelines for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance in Africa and other applicable instruments aimed at ensuring the full protection of the right to life;
To the African Union:
d. Promote consultations with Member States, regional organisations and mechanisms on the abolition of the death penalty;
e. Monitor and support the process of adoption the draft Protocol to the Charter on the Death Penalty;
f. Continue to support the Central African Republic in restoring security throughout the country;
National human rights institutions and civil society organisations:
g. Intensify advocacy at the national level for the abolition of the death penalty and for the prevention of and response to extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary killings and enforced disappearances in Africa;
h. Inform the Working Group of violations of the right to life.
To other development partners:
i. Provide support to the Working Group to enable it to carry out its mandate effectively;
j. Provide technical and financial assistance to States Parties, NHRIs and civil society organizations in their activities, programmes, projects and policies aimed at combating extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary killings and enforced disappearances, as well as in penal reform processes aimed at the abolition of the death penalty.
