Human rights deteriorate

The general human rights situation in Namibia deteriorated over the past year, showing only slight improvements in certain regions, the Namibian Society for Human Rights (NSHR) said in its annual report on Tuesday. The NSHR said that infractions of civil and political rights had reached “unprecedented” high levels since its last report in August last year. “Widespread and systematic acts or statements manifesting or inciting racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance were monitored throughout the period,” the report noted. It added that in the “volatile” northern parts of the country, the human rights situation had remained “precarious”. “Serious active human rights abuses were widespread, such as arbitrary arrests and detention, summary executions, torture and enforced disappearance,” the NSHR said. “The final blame of all of these violations should be laid squarely at the feet of President (Sam) Nujoma because it was he, and he alone, who made the decision to invite Angolan armed forces to operate within Namibia.” The NSHR said, however, that human rights in the northern Kavango region had “improved markedly”. It said that this only came after “widespread” public pressure and criticism of authorities in the area. The overall human rights situation in the Caprivi, the NSHR said, had also improved “somewhat” over the past year. “While serious abuses decreased considerably in the eastern parts of this region, the situation remained particularly volatile in the western parts, where reports of arbitrary arrests and detention, summary executions, torture and enforced disappearances as well as general harassment of especially Kxoe San villagers, were monitored,” the report said. Meanwhile, ‘The Namibian’ said on Wednesday that the 125 men accused of high treason would appear in the High Court at Grootfontein on Thursday. Most of the men have been in custody for two years. The men were arrested in the wake of the armed attacks on Katima Mulio on 2 August 1999. For the full NSHR report, please see: http://www.nshr.org.na