For this question I will first share few of the problems faced by the African people regarding their human rights.
The level of human rights in African countries varies for it is such a large country.
One of the basic human right is that everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care according to Article 25.
First problem that Africa faced is deprivation from food. In Mali, there were demonstration organized against the rise of price in the basic commodities and against plans to privatize the supply of water in Lere, in the north-west of the country. At least six people were injured in November, one of whom died later in hospital, when security forces shot at the demonstrators.
According to Article 19 and 20 , everyone have the right to freedom of opinion and expression, this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. Everyone also has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
But in Zimbabwe, the activist that were protesting the dramatic decline in the economy and social infrastructure were arrested and detained without charge. They were broken up by the police using excessive force and the government continued to manipulate access to food for political motives even though by the end of the year the UN estimated that about five million people were in need of food aid. Thousands of people, mostly in rural areas, became displaced as a result of the state-sponsored political violence and no longer had access to their food stocks, land or other forms of livelihood. So they migrate to other countries to improve their families’ lives.
The rapid urbanization and prevailing poverty in African countries means that many people will not have adequate housing and usually living in the slums. They also are at risk of being forcibly evicted by the authorities and in the slums they did not have access to basic facilities such as water and sanitation. Such as in Lagos and Nigeria there were numerous people were forcibly evicted without due process and did not receive any compensation or alternative housing.
Second problem faced by African countries is insecurities. The insecurity in several African countries forced thousand of people to flee from their homes, trying to find international protection across borders or some form of security within their own country. In some of the worst armed conflicts still affecting the region, government forces and armed groups completely disregarded the dignity and physical integrity of the population. The civilian population was routinely the object of attacks by parties to the conflict; rape and other forms of sexual violence remained widespread; children were often recruited to take part in hostilities; and humanitarian workers were targeted. Those responsible for crimes under international law, committed in the context of these armed conflicts, were hardly ever held to account.
In both Kenya and Zimbabwe, the violence and insecurity not only affected the people’s physical security, but also their capacity to earn a livelihood as thousands lost their homes, food supplies, access to land and other sources of income. Hundreds of thousands of people became dependent on humanitarian assistance for their basic needs as a result of political violence.
Third problem is exclusion. There is still many groups in African countries face discrimination and exclution from protection or the means to get redress for the abuses they suffered.
People in Africa suffered discrimination within their families and communities because of their gender or HIV status. Women were also discriminated against in various societies under customary laws and traditional practices. The customary laws of certain ethnic groups in Namibia, for example, discriminate against women and girls, specifically laws on marriage and inheritance.
In various countries, notably Tanzania, albino people were murdered in what were believed to be ritual killings. Although the government of Tanzania denounced the killings, nobody was prosecuted in relation to them during 2008, even though a number of people were arrested
There is still an enormous gap between the rhetoric of African governments, which claim to protect and respect human rights, and the daily reality where human rights violations remain the norm.
In 2008, Africans deprived of their rights took to the streets. Protests often became violent, with resentment fuelled by the repressive attitudes of governments towards dissent and protest. These protests are likely to continue.
Source - http://thereport.amnesty.org/en/regions/africa
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