OAE en menseregte

Abstract

In die post-koloniale tydsgewrig was die menseregte-situasie en bestaansomgewing van talle Afrikane die van konflik, korrupsie, onderdrukking, sosiale ongeregtigheid en menseslagting. As kontinentale eenheidsorganisasie het die OAE jare lank in gebreke gebly om die lot van mense in sy ledestate te verbeter. Eers teen die laat-sewentigerjare het die organisasie - hoofsaaklik as gevolg van internasionale druk - begin om werklik aan menseregte aandag te skenk. Die kulminasie hiervan was die Banjoel-handves vir menseregte in 1981. Dit is egter bekend dat die gebeure geen wesenlike verbetering en vordering in die menseregte-gesteldheid in Afrika teweeg gebring het nie. Teen hierdie agtergrond is gepoog om die geskiedenis van menseregte in Afrika en die OAE se rol hieromtrent te ontleed. Samehangend is ondersoek gedoen na die noodsaaklike elemente vir 'n menseregtebedeling op die kontinent - soos dit in der waarheid in die Banjoel-handves ten doel gestel is. Die belangrikste bevindings is onder meer dat * 'n botsing tussen pan-nasionale en nasionale belange in die OAE deurgaans ten diepste veroorsaak het dat die organisasie in gebreke was om die lot van talle Afrikane te verbeter; * die politieke bedelings en "regskultuur" van die afsonderlike Afrika-state tot dusver verhoed het dat die menseregte van die Banjoel-handves sinvol toegepas word; * indien die OAE sy menseregte-standaarde toegepas wil sien, die Afrika-leiers in afsonderlike verband eers daarmee erns moet maak; * gemeenskaplik aanvaarde politieke bedelings en legitieme regerings in Afrika voorwaardelik is vir die verwerkliking van die ideaal van 'n menseregte-bedeling op die kontinent. Sedert die negentigerjare is daar egter tekens wat hoop bied op 'n verbetering in die menseregte-situasie in Afrika. Dit geld veral vir die demokratisering van etlike state en die werksaamhede van die OAE se Menseregte-kommissie. Weens verskeie redes sal die organisasie se taak ten opsigte van menseregte vorentoe egter nie maklik wees nie. Die hoop beskaam egter nie dat die OAE, hoe gering ook al, 'n bydrae kan !ewer om die bestaansomgewing van talle Afrikane te verbeter - mits 'n groter realisme daaroor in die afsonderlike ledestate posvat.

In the post-colonial era the human rights situation of many Africans was one of conflict, repression, social injustice and bloodshed. For years the OAU failed to improve the lot of people in its member states. It was only during the late seventies that the OAU - mainly as a result of international pressure - began to pay attention to the principles of human rights. The culmination of this was the Banjul Charter of human rights in 1981. This brought about no real progress or improvement in the human rights situation in Africa, however. Against this background an attempt has been made to analyse the history of human rights in Africa and the role of the OAU in this regard. At the same time the essential elements of a human rights dispensation on this continent - as it has in fact been envisaged by the OAU - have been investigated. The most important findings include the following: * a clash between pan-national and national interests in the OAU was a fundamental reason why this organisation failed to improve the lot of Africans; * the political dispensations and "legal culture" of the African states have thus far prevented the meaningful application of the Banjul charter; * if the OAU wishes to see its human rights standards applied, the African leaders will first have to make serious attempts to do this separately and individually; * commonly accepted political dispensations and legitimate governments will have to be established in the OAU member states before the ideal of a human rights dispensation can become a reality in Africa. Since the nineties there have, however, been signs offering hope for an improvement in the human rights situation in Africa. This applies in particular to the democratisation of numerous states and the activities of the OAU's Human Rights Commission. For various reasons the future task of this organisation in regard to human rights will not be easy. There is hope, however, that the OAU will be able to make some contribution, however slight, to improving the environment of many Africans - provided a greater realism about this matter sets in the respective member states.