Human rights in crisis: Amnesty sounds alarm over global decline

Amnesty International has warned of the deteriorating global human rights crisis as the ‘Trump effect’ accelerates destructive trends.

The annual report entitled 'The State of the World’s Human Rights' assessed national, regional and global developments across a wide range of human rights themes.

Among the issues that hinder human rights are violations in armed conflicts, repression of dissent, discrimination, economic and climate injustice, and the misuse of technology to infringe on human rights. 

The report also stated that while Africa's armed conflicts caused relentless civilian suffering, including increasing levels of sexual and gender-based violence, and death on a massive scale, international and regional responses remained woefully inadequate, with civilians feeling forgotten.

It also highlighted the cost-of-living crisis that has deepened as prices of food, fuel and other necessities spiralled. High taxation levels, unsustainable public debts, widespread and unchecked corruption, escalating conflicts and extreme weather events exacerbated the crisis.

Protesting meant putting one's life in danger, according to the report. Demonstrations were too often brutally and lethally dispersed and attacks on the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association remained rampant.

Repressive tactics used by governments included enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests and detentions of opponents, human rights defenders, activists, journalists and their critics.

Conflict and climate-induced shocks remained the main drivers of forced displacement, and Sudan continued to suffer the largest displacement crisis worldwide.

The number of refugees from conflict zones continued to soar; many refugees lived in squalid conditions or fear of forced return. Discrimination and gender-based violence, fuelled by societal norms, remained a daily reality for women and girls.

Unlawful attacks and killings by government forces and armed groups were reported across the region, including in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan.

Operations by government forces often left a trail of civilian deaths. In Burkina Faso, the military reportedly killed at least 223 civilians, including at least 56 children, in the villages of Soro and Nodin in February.

Hundreds of civilians were reportedly killed in May by the military and its proxy forces during a supply operation against besieged towns in the east.

In Ethiopia, following armed clashes in January between government forces and militias in Merawi town, Amhara region, government forces rounded up scores of civilian men from their homes, shops and the streets and executed them.