Adopted by the First Sub-Regional Conference for Central, Eastern and Southern Africa on the Question of the Death Penalty in Africa.
1. The First Conference on ‘The Question of the Death Penalty in Africa’, organized by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Commission or ACHPR,) for Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, was held in Kigali, Rwanda from 23 to 25 September 2009. The Conference was chaired by Commissioner Zainabo Sylvie Kayitesi, the Chairperson of the African Commission’s Working Group on the Death Penalty in Africa. In attendance in the Conference were other members of the Working Group namely: Commissioner Tom Nyanduga, Ms. Alice Mogwe, Professor Philip Iya and Professor Anyangwe.
2. Fifty (50) participants representing ten (10) Member States of the African Union States Parties to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights namely; Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, AU Organs, National Human Rights Commissions, Academic institutions, international and National NGOs, took part in the Conference.
3. The Conference was organized by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights as part of the mandate of the Working Group on the Death Penalty in Africa, a special mechanism established during its 37th Ordinary Session held in Banjul, The Gambia, to, inter alia, elaborate a document on the question of the death penalty and propose ways and means of tackling the question of the death penalty in Africa.
