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Africa Shows Improvement in Freedom of Association Amid Global Setbacks

A new report from Freedom House praises Sub-Saharan Africa for showing "impressive improvement" in freedom of association, a rare advance in a world that is increasingly restricting the activities of trade unions, non-governmental organizations and other sectors of civil society. Freedom of Association Under Threat <http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=383&report=74> indicates a downturn in associational rights in more than 20 percent of the world's countries.

The study ranks Sub-Saharan Africa fifth overall in terms of general freedoms of association, beating only the former Soviet Union and the Middle East/North Africa regions. However, Sub-Saharan Africa had the most single country gains of any region from 2004-2007, with 18 countries showing improvement and just seven declining. Countries that made gains include: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo (Kinshasa), Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Togo and Uganda. Countries that declined are Congo (Brazzaville), Equatorial Guinea, Lesotho, Somalia, The Gambia, Tonga and Zimbabwe.

The report examines freedom of association worldwide between 2004-2007 by analyzing data from Freedom in the World, Freedom House's annual survey of political rights and civil liberties. The new report also provides in-depth reports on 12 countries where associational rights are particularly threatened. The only Sub-Saharan African country to make that list is Zimbabwe, where the report says "freedom of assembly and association have been largely eviscerated in recent years."

"Freedom House is deeply disturbed by a notable reversal for freedom of association in much of the world and there are reasons to believe that the current round of restrictions is not a passing phenomenon," said Arch Puddington, Freedom House research director. "However, we are pleased that civil society in Africa is gaining more freedom in which to operate and we hope it signifies the start of a long-term trend on the continent."

The report indicates that regimes worldwide reacted to Europe's "color" revolutions by cracking down civil society groups in their own countries. However, authoritarian leaders were more likely to accomplish this through legalistic or bureaucratic means, rather than resorting to the violence of the past. Some common tactics include prohibiting civil society from receiving foreign aid, preventing the establishment of independent unions and blocking citizens from protesting.

The Zimbabwe country report raises concern about the government's severe restrictions on nongovernmental organizations. Security forces have killed civil society protesters and routinely beat demonstrators and detainees. Civil society leaders also face fines, threats, imprisonment and the revocation of their organizations' registrations. While labor strikes are allowed in some industries, they require onerous notification and arbitration procedures and are often declared illegal.

Freedom House is an independent nongovernmental organization that supports the expansion of freedom in the world.

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