INTRODUCTION AND APPROACH TO THIS TRAINING
Part 1: Background to the Guidelines for the Policing of Assemblies by Law Enforcement Officials in Africa
Law enforcement officials play a central role in managing assemblies: their attitude, planning and conduct can influence whether an assembly is peaceful or not. The African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (the African Commission) developed the Guidelines for the Policing of Assemblies by Law Enforcement Officials in Africa (the Guidelines) to help law enforcement agents in Africa become more aware of good practice in policing assemblies. The Guidelines were adopted on 4 March 2017 at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the African Commission at Banjul in the Republic of the Gambia.
By adopting them, the African Commission hopes that future policing will ensure the peaceful conduct of public assemblies, so protecting the public’s right to freedom of assembly.
In addition to these guidelines, the African Commission has recently also adopted the Guidelines on Freedom of Association and Assembly in Africa1 as an additional measure to ensure that the right to assembly is protected. It states that currently:
[It is concerned] that restrictions on the rights of freedom of association and assembly limit the potential for a free public sphere and a free and open democratic society.
Recommendations for good practice
The Guidelines are not prescriptive, as they are not law. Rather, they are recommendations for moving police services in African countries towards a rights-based policing of assemblies. Where the Guidelines say ‘must’, this should be read with the understanding that these are recommendations for good practice.
