After 50 years, freedom of association is firmly established, though far from absolute, in Africa

Fifty years after the United Nations formalized the freedoms of assembly and association, how well are African governments protecting these fundamental human rights?

A new analysis from Afrobarometer offers some encouraging news: Eight out of 10 Africans feel at least “somewhat free” to join any political group they want.

But only 21 out of 36 countries have majorities who feel “completely free,” and some countries have seen sharp declines in perceived freedom.

And one in three Africans say that the government should have the right to ban any organisation that “goes against its policies” – a less-than-absolute endorsement of a freedom that most of them claim.

These findings are part of a new report titled “After 50 years, freedom of association is firmly established, though far from absolute, in Africa,” published today (16 December) by Afrobarometer, the world’s premier source of reliable data on public perceptions and attitudes across Africa.

Publication coincides with the 50th anniversary of the UN’s adoption of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

This is the 16th of Afrobarometer’s global releases of new findings from its Round 6 surveys (2014/2015) of almost 54,000 citizens in 36 African countries.

The first 15 (available at http://globalreleases.afrobarometer.org) focused on citizens’ top policy and investment priorities, infrastructure development, lived poverty, tolerance, electricity, water/sanitation, health, the news media, regional integration, political and civic engagement of African youth, trustworthy institutions, election management, performance of elected representatives, perceptions of China in Africa, and democracy.

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