From October 17th to 31st, 2025, the Africa Albinism Network (AAN) was on the ground in Banjul, The Gambia, for a landmark moment in Africa’s human rights landscape; the NGOs Forum and the 85th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR).
The NGOs Forum, hosted by the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS), brings together civil society organisations and human rights defenders ahead of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) Ordinary Sessions. It serves as a crucial platform for civil society on human rights issues across Africa.
Under the continent-wide theme “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations,” AAN led a strategic and impactful mission to ensure that persons with albinism were meaningfully represented in Africa’s broader reparative justice agenda.
For decades, violence, discrimination, and systemic neglect have defined the lived realities of persons with albinism in many African countries. Our presence in Banjul this year was a decisive step toward breaking that silence and reshaping the narrative of justice, healing, and accountability.
Raising the Bar: The NGOs Forum’s First-Ever Panel on Inclusive Reparations
AAN convened a milestone panel that ensured the voices of persons with albinism were recognised as part of Africa’s reparative justice agenda. The discussion, titled “Inclusive Reparations for Persons with Albinism: Healing, Justice, and Social Cohesion.”
Moderated by Hon. Ndegen Jobe, Deputy Speaker of The Gambia’s National Youth Parliament, the panel shared powerful reflections and called on frontline advocate to take action: Mr. Kwame Andrews Daklo, AAN Advocacy Manager, opened with an unflinching assessment of ongoing atrocities, noting that
“healing and justice would look like a continent where every person with albinism can live freely without fear of attack, and where their potential is unlocked through equal access to education, healthcare, and employment.”
He further highlighted that over 700 documented ritual attacks and killings have devastated families across the region, with women and children accounting for 70% of victims. Daklo emphasized that these experiences must shape reparations frameworks across Africa.
From Nigeria, Ms. Elizabeth Oyarese Adams, The National Youth Secretary for Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) brought forward a deeply personal lens on intersectional discrimination. She stated,
“For women and children with albinism, true justice means being safe, being heard, and being allowed to lead without fear.”
She spoke movingly about having to switch schools, and at times be home-schooled, due to discrimination from both peers and teachers. Her testimony captured the gendered dimensions of stigma and the necessity of centering women and girls in reparations processes.
Representing Togo, Mr. Souradji Ouro Yondo, the Executive Director of the National Association of Persons with Albinism in Togo (ANAT) underscored the acute implementation gaps across governments, noting,
“There is a profound disconnect between national policies and local realities. Laws exist on paper, but they do not protect us.”
He renewed the call for the swift appointment of an AU Special Envoy on Albinism, stressing that this role is essential to guiding the domestication and implementation of the AU Plan of Action on Albinism (2021–2031).
The panel’s outcome was clear: reparations efforts across Africa remain incomplete without deliberate inclusion of persons with albinism. The session concluded with actionable recommendations for the ACHPR and Member States, ranging from public apologies and memorialization initiatives to gender-responsive reparations and institutional reforms ensuring non-repetition.
Carrying the Message to the Commission: AAN Statement at the 85th Ordinary Session
AAN took this momentum directly to the main stage of the African Commission. In a compelling statement delivered during the 85th Ordinary Session, we presented the story of two-and-a-half-year-old Asimwe Novath, murdered in Tanzania in 2024, one of the many children whose lives have been stolen through targeted attacks rooted in harmful beliefs.
We underscored that reparations for persons with albinism must extend far beyond monetary compensation. They require a holistic framework that includes:
- Restitution: access to affordable sunscreen, dermatological care, and life-saving skin cancer treatment.
- Rehabilitation: inclusive education with assistive devices and safe, accessible learning environments.
- Satisfaction: justice for victims, ensuring perpetrators are held accountable.
- Guarantees of Non-Repetition: embedding the principle “Nothing Without Us” in national policymaking.
This intervention urged the Commission and Member States to incorporate albinism into their work on discrimination, transitional justice, and the ratification of the Africa Disability Protocol and implementation of the AU Plan of Action on Albinism.
Beyond the Podium: Strengthening Partnerships and Building Solidarity
Throughout the two-week engagement, AAN participated in trainings, side events, and advocacy dialogues. These engagements yielded three strategic gains:
- Stronger Collaborations: AAN deepened partnerships with Commissioners, national delegations, and civil society allies, securing future commitments on disability inclusion, justice, and the protection of persons with albinism.
- Greater Visibility: Through active participation in multiple platforms, including the NGOs Forum’s panel, AAN strengthened its standing as a leading voice on albinism inclusion within African human rights spaces.
- Enhanced Advocacy Skills and Strategy: Engagements with other human rights defenders enriched our collective understanding of how to leverage regional mechanisms more effectively, ensuring our advocacy remains evidence-driven and action-oriented.
Looking Forward: Turning Advocacy into Action
Our mission in Banjul marked not an end, but a renewed beginning. We leave with a strengthened resolve to:
- Engage closely with the ACHPR mechanisms, including the Special Rapporteur on Older Persons and Persons with Disabilities.
- Support Member States in operationalizing the AU Plan of Action on Albinism through National Action Plans on albinism and promote the review of national disability laws to advance ratification and domestication of the African Disability Protocol.
- Work with partners to make reparations for persons with albinism a lived reality, not an aspiration.
The Africa Albinism Network extends its deepest appreciation to the Disability Rights Fund (DRF), JONAPWD, ANAT, and all partner organizations whose support made this mission possible. Together, we continue building an Africa where justice, dignity, and equality for persons with albinism are not optional, but guaranteed.
