Strong open letter from a group of African writers to @AUC_MoussaFaki & @DrTaxs on the arrest of #Zimbabwe-an journalist #HopewellChinono & the continued silence of @_AfricanUnion and @SADCnews when citizens' rights are trampled upon by member states. theafricareport.com/35715/zimbabaw…
The letter states: "The African Union, an organisation that was quick to tell the world that #BlackLivesMatter in the wake of George Floyd’s murder & other human rights abuses by police in the United States, seems strangely silent about the violation of Black Lives in Africa."
They add: "We fear that as long as Zimbabwe continues to violate its citizens’ rights with impunity, we and fellow writers and journalists are in danger of having our rights violated in the different AU member states while the mother body stays silent."
"An injury to a Zimbabwean journalist for doing their job by the Zimbabwean state thus becomes potential injury to us all by any rogue African government. We ask that all decent human beings join us in being our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers."
The writers call for strong action. "As they protest in Zimbabwe, we ask SADC, the AU and other international bodies to suspend Zimbabwe with immediate effect. "
"We ask too that all countries that respect human & media rights cut all diplomatic ties with a country that respects none. We demand, instead of keeping Chin’ono in detention that the Zimbabwean authorities should prosecute the perpetrators in the Drax scandal and
authorities should prosecute the perpetrators in the Drax scandal and get back #coronavirus funds." "#FreeHopewellChinonoNow
Last week, @pressfreedom & 8 other organisations including @MediaMattersZA, @SAEditorsForum wrote to @_AfricanUnion chairman @CyrilRamaphosa about #HopewellChinono & other jailed journalists in Africa. cpj.org/2020/07/cpj-jo…
Eish. Trust me to tag @SADCNews when it should have been @SADC_News
