• The Heads of State, EAC.
• The Speaker, East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).
• Hon. Members of EALA.
• The President, East African Court of Justice.
• The Council of Ministers.
• The Secretary General, EAC.
{{Your Excellencies, Rt. Hon. Speaker, Hon. Ministers, Hon. Members of EALA and fellow citizens of the EAC Partner States,}}
The African Charter on Human and People’s Rights prescribes that “Every individual shall be entitled to the enjoyment of the rights and freedoms recognized and guaranteed in the present Charter without distinction of any kind such as race, ethnic group, color, sex, language, religion, political or any other opinion, national and social origin, fortune, birth or other status” (Art,2).
It further covenants that “The mass expulsion of non-nationals shall be prohibited.
Mass expulsion shall be that which is aimed at national, racial, ethnic or religious groups” (Art. 12 (5).
The Treaty for the establishment of the East African Community, which was signed in November 1999 and came into force in July 2000, espouses: …” adherence to universally acceptable principles of good governance, democracy, the rule of law, observance of human rights and social justice”, as some of the main criteria for admission into EAC membership ( Article 3.3a)
In the Common Market Protocol (Art 7), EAC Partner States guaranteed the free movement of persons who are citizens of the other Partner States, within their territories and covenanted that each Partner State shall ensure non‐discrimination of citizens of other Partner States based on their nationalities.
According to eye witnesses who reported to EACSOF, by August 13 2013, more than 7,000 people of Rwandan ancestry had been forced out of Tanzania. Elderly women are being rounded up at gun point with nothing on them, and forced out to the Rwanda-Tanzania border.
The children they had with Tanzania men are remaining, because the children are Tanzanian and not their mother. The same thing is happening to men married to Tanzanian women.
Those being forced out include unemployed youths born in Tanzania, but have Rwandan origins; women and men who left Rwanda as babies in 1959; babies and teenagers born in Tanzania; elderly women/men who crossed into Karagwe long before Tanzania was born.
According to press reports, people claiming to represent Tanzanian government areholding meetings with local leaders from which a simple message is given: “ALL RWANDANS OUT”. First, the targeted people are forced to give up their official Tanzanian documents, and since they no longer have documents, everything is taken.
It is incomprehensible that such actions, which are in gross contravention of theTanzanian Constitution, Tanzania Citizenship Act (1995), The EAC Treaty and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights can take place at this stage of East African integration.
EACSOF therefore appeals to His Excellency, President Kikwete to come to the urgent rescue of these people whose identity has been stripped from them and with it, fundamental rights plundered!
Justice will only be seen to have been done with immediate stoppage of evictions, unconditional redress for victimized people to help them recover their right of residence, family life and property and nothing less.
Martin Mwondha,
Chief Executive Officer
East African Civil Society Organizations Forum
PO Box 12583 Arusha Tanzania
Tel:+255 687 491 489 / +256-772 33 14 39 / +256 702 33 14 39
Alt. Email: eacsof@gmail.com / mmwondha@eacsof.net
Leave a Reply