Committee for Justice calls on the African Commission to adopt a dedicated resolution and establish a joint mechanism to address cross-border repression
Geneva / Dakar, 14 October 2026
The Committee for Justice (CFJ) welcomes the adoption of the Thematic Resolution on Transnational Repression in Africa by the NGO Forum held in Dakar, Senegal, from 8 to 10 October 2026, ahead of the 89th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR).
The resolution, jointly initiated by the Committee for Justice (CFJ) and the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), and endorsed by more than 50 African and international human rights organisations, represents an important step towards recognising transnational repression (TNR) as a distinct human rights concern requiring a coordinated response within the African human rights system.
The adoption of the resolution reflects growing concern over the use of cross-border practices to intimidate, silence, punish or otherwise target individuals exercising their fundamental rights and freedoms beyond their countries of origin.
These practices include surveillance and spyware, threats and harassment, reprisals against family members, misuse of counter-terrorism legislation and international law-enforcement cooperation, abusive extradition and deportation procedures, abduction, unlawful rendition, arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance.
Human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, political dissidents, refugees, asylum seekers and members of diaspora communities are among those particularly exposed to such practices, including after leaving their countries in search of safety and protection.
Towards a coordinated African response to transnational repression
A central recommendation of the resolution is that the African Commission adopt a dedicated resolution on transnational repression in Africa, recognising its various manifestations and establishing a coordinated institutional response.
The resolution further proposes the establishment of a Joint Task Force on Transnational Repression in Africa, bringing together relevant Special Mechanisms of the African Commission under the coordination of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and Focal Point on Reprisals in Africa.
The proposed Task Force would involve mechanisms working on the protection of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants; freedom of expression and access to information; and enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, among other relevant mandates.
The proposed mechanism would undertake a comprehensive continental study on transnational repression, examining its patterns, methods, perpetrators, affected populations and impact on the enjoyment of human rights across Africa.
The study would also assess existing legal and institutional protection gaps, clarify the respective obligations of States responsible for transnational repression and host States, and develop recommendations on prevention, protection, accountability and effective remedies.
Its findings could provide the foundation for the development of African principles or guidelines on transnational repression, as well as consideration of whether a dedicated permanent Working Group or other Special Mechanism should be established within the African Commission.
A collective call from African and international civil society
Commenting on the adoption of the resolution, Ahmed Mefreh, Executive Director of Committee for Justice (CFJ), stated:
“The adoption of this resolution marks an important step towards ensuring that national borders do not become a means of extending repression or escaping accountability. Human rights defenders and other individuals who seek safety outside their countries must not remain vulnerable to the same authorities from which they fled.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the more than 50 African and international human rights organisations that joined us in supporting and advocating for this resolution. Their collective commitment demonstrates the growing recognition of transnational repression as a shared concern that requires a coordinated African response.
We hope that the African Commission will build on this collective civil society effort by adopting a dedicated resolution and establishing a joint mechanism capable of translating these recommendations into concrete measures for prevention, protection and accountability.”
Strengthening State responsibility and cross-border protection
CFJ emphasises that addressing transnational repression requires a comprehensive approach recognising both the responsibility of States that commit, direct, support or facilitate such practices and the obligations of States within whose territory or jurisdiction targeted individuals reside.
States must ensure that their territories, institutions, diplomatic and consular services, law-enforcement structures and international cooperation mechanisms are not used to facilitate acts of transnational repression.
They must also establish effective safeguards against the misuse of extradition, deportation, immigration procedures, counter-terrorism measures and international law-enforcement cooperation, while fully respecting the principle of non-refoulement and ensuring access to protection and effective remedies.
The resolution also highlights the importance of addressing digital forms of transnational repression, including unlawful surveillance, spyware, cyber-harassment and other technology-facilitated practices used to intimidate or target individuals across borders.
From civil society advocacy to institutional action
CFJ considers the adoption of the resolution an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between African and international human rights mechanisms, particularly through the Addis Ababa Roadmap, which provides a framework for cooperation between the African Commission and United Nations Special Procedures.
Such cooperation is particularly relevant given the multidimensional nature of transnational repression, which intersects with the protection of human rights defenders, refugee rights, freedom of expression, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention and other serious human rights violations.
CFJ expresses its appreciation to the NGO Forum, the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS), the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), and all participating and endorsing organisations for their collective efforts in advancing this initiative.
CFJ calls upon the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, during its 89th Ordinary Session in Dakar, to consider the NGO Forum’s recommendations and initiate the adoption of a dedicated resolution on transnational repression in Africa, including the establishment of a coordinated process among its relevant Special Mechanisms.
The Committee further encourages the African Commission to build on its existing work concerning human rights defenders in exile, reprisals and cross-border human rights violations, with a view to developing a comprehensive African framework for the prevention of and protection against transnational repression.
CFJ reaffirms its commitment to working alongside African civil society organisations, the International Service for Human Rights, the African Commission and relevant United Nations human rights mechanisms to advance this initiative and ensure that the protection of human rights extends beyond national borders.
