Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL? The Gambia) – Human rights organizations have condemned the cancellation of a side event on the protection of human rights defenders in Western Sahara during the ongoing 87th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Banjul, describing the move as an act of “censorship of civil society.”
In a joint statement issued on 13 May 2026, the International Service for Human Rights, Front Line Defenders, Hegoa Institute, and the Working Group on Human Rights in Occupied Western Sahara said they were deeply concerned by what they called the silencing of Sahrawi human rights defenders.
The side event, titled Ending the Silence on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders in Western Sahara, had been scheduled for 12 May at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre.
According to the organizations, the event was part of broader civil society advocacy efforts surrounding the review of the periodic report of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic before the African Commission.
The groups said organizers were informed late on 11 May that the conference venue would no longer host the event, despite prior confirmation of the booking and payment of a deposit.
“This was a unilateral cancellation of this specific side event,” the organizations said in the statement.
They further alleged that no explanation was provided for the cancellation and that no alternative venue was offered, even though other side events reportedly continued at the conference center as scheduled.
The organizations also noted that the Secretariat of the African Commission had announced the event during plenary proceedings before the cancellation took effect.
According to the joint statement, the move “appears to be a targeted silencing of Sahrawi human rights defenders.”
The groups warned that such actions risk undermining the African Commission’s commitment to civic participation, openness, and the protection of civic space during its sessions.
“Any attempts to exert external pressure to undermine the Commission’s independence and silence civil society are unacceptable and must be rejected,” the statement added.
The organizations have called on the African Commission to urgently ensure the participation and safety of Sahrawi human rights defenders attending the session in Banjul.
They also appealed for the reinstatement of the room booking to allow the side event to proceed on 14 May 2026.
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