Human Rights Watch calls for intervention in region

Ahead of the upcoming ministerial meeting between the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the European Union (EU) in Maputo, Mozambique, Human Rights Watch has called for urgent action on several crises in the region. The group pointed to Angola, Zimbabwe and Swaziland as countries where rights abuses needed to be addressed. The EU/SADC meeting takes place on 7-8 November. "It is vital that the SADC take unambiguous and decisive actions on human rights issues. Only then will the organisation's stated commitments to human rights be taken seriously," Bronwen Manby, Human Rights Watch deputy director for Africa, said in a statement on Wednesday. The EU-SADC meeting "should pursue actions against Swaziland's highly oppressive monarchy" as "civil liberties are basically non-existent and civil society is severely restricted in Swaziland". "The monarchy also maintains tight control over the media," said Manby. A constitution had been in development since 1996 but it was widely believed that the monarchy would use it to permanently enshrine its absolute power and to prevent future political opposition. Chief Justices of the SADC region recently issued a statement concerning threats to the independence of the judiciary after senior government officials attempted to interfere with court proceedings on the alleged abduction of a young woman, by royal aides, to become the king's 10th wife. In Angola "despite the ceasefire implemented this year and ongoing peace efforts, 1.7 million internally displaced people [IDPs] remain at substantial risk of abuse by government officials as well as demobilised soldiers", Human Rights Watch said. Humanitarian agencies had repeatedly stressed the need for greater support for Angola's IDPs but both the United Nations and the EU had "done little to ameliorate the situation", the group charged. "Human Rights Watch is especially concerned by reports that some people have been forced to return to their areas of origin despite the ongoing danger in those regions," said Manby. However, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Angola, Eric de Mul, told IRIN that such comments were "ill-informed and unhelpful". "If they [Human Rights Watch] want to have a better idea of what UN agencies are doing [in Angola] they should make a little effort to come and talk to us and find out," De Mul said. Human Rights Watch said the EU had specifically pledged support for rehabilitation and reintegration efforts and called on the EU to renew this commitment at the meeting in Maputo. The group also urged SADC and the EU to "speak out publicly and privately against the violence and harassment that had characterised Zimbabwean elections". In recent weeks, a parliamentary by-election in Matabeleland South was marred by allegations of intimidation of the opposition and there were reports of government forces harassing NGOs and the media. The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO forum had reported 58 murders in political violence during 2002. "Those present at the Maputo meeting should work towards a quick intervention before the situation gets even worse," Manby added.