Housing Rights in West Africa Report of Four Fact-Finding Missions
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Housing Rights in West Africa Report of Four Fact-Finding Missions -- A Draft Report, for Consultation, Discussion and Networking Purposes -- Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) February 2004 GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS ACDHRS African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies ACHPR African Charter on Human and People’s Rights ACHPR African Commission on Human and People’s Rights AEPB Abuja Environmental Protection Board AFP Alliance des Forces de Progrés AMC Abuja Municipal Council APC All People’s Congress CAN Christian Association of Nigeria CAP Community Action Programme CDA Community Development Association CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women CFA Communauté Financière Africaine CHUD Committee on Housing and Urban Development CMP Community Monitoring Programmes COCIN Church of Christ in Nigeria COHRE Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions CRC Convention on the Rights of the Child CRS Catholic Relief Services DFID Department for International Development DPP Due Process Principle ENDA Environnement et Développement Action dans le Tiers-Monde ECOMOG Economic Community of WAS (Cease Fire Monitoring Group) ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States ESC Economic, social and cultural rights FCDA Federal Capital Development Authority FCT Federal Capital Territory FEPP Forced Evictions Prevention Project FFM Fact-finding mission FOE Federal-owned Enterprises GDI Gender-related Development Index GDP Gross Domestic Product 2 HDI Human Development Index ICCPR International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ICEDAW International Covenant on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women ICERD International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination ICERD International Covenant on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination ICESCR International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ICRC International Covenant on the Rights of the Child IDPs Internally Displaced Peoples IHRDA Institute of Human Rights and Development in Africa IMF International Monetary Fund JNI Jamatu Anasri Islam KASUPDA Kaduna State Urban Property and Development Authority KSDPC Kaduna State Development and Property Commission LAP Legal Action Program LDSP Lagos Drainage and Sanitation Project LMDP Lagos Metropolitan Development Project LSDPC Lagos State Development and Property Corporation LSDP Land and Settlement Development Policy LSURB Lagos State Urban Renewal Board MAP Monitoring and Advocacy Programme MEC Maroko Evictees Committee MEPP Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning MFDC Mouvement des Forces Démocratiques de Casamance MOSOP Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People MSF Médecins Sans Frontières MSP Maroko Support Project NAC National Advisory Committee NACRD Nigerian Agricultural Co-operative and Rural Development Bank NaCSA National Commission for Social Action NCDHR National Committee for Democracy and Human Rights NCRRR National Commission for Reconstruction, Resettlement and Reintegration NEC National Electoral Commission 3 NGO Non-governmental organisation NHF National Housing Fund NHP National Housing Policy NNPC Nigerian National Petroleum Company NPCUH National Programme to Combat Unhealthy Housing NPFL National Patriotic Front of Liberia NPRC National Provisional Ruling Council NRC Norwegian Refugee Council PDS Senegalese Democratic Party PLDHU Plan Local d’Habitat et de Development Urban PS Socialist Party RSLHB Rivers State Land and Housing Bureau RTA Rainbow Town Association RUF Revolutionary United Front SALHOC Sierra Leone Housing Corporation SERAC Social and Economic Rights Action Centre SHARE Save Heritage and Rehabilitate the Environment SLPP Sierra Leone People’s Party SPDC Shell Petroleum Development Corporation SRRPD Support Reinstatement and Resettlement Programme Department SSHFC Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation UEMOA West African Economic and Monetary Union UNCESCR United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights UNCHR United Nations Commission on Human Rights UN-HABITAT United Nations Human Settlements Programme (formerly the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements, UNCHS) UNCRC United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNICESCR United Nations International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights UNDP United Nations Development Programme USAID/OFDA United States Foreign Disaster Assistance 4 Table of Contents Introduction 8 Executive Summary 10 Chapter 1: Nigeria 13 INTRODUCTION 14 Fact-Finding Mission Objectives Report Outline PERSPECTIVE ON NIGERIA 16 Historical and Geographical Overview Legal System Domestic Law International Law Economic Development HOUSING RIGHTS AND FORCED EVICTIONS IN NIGERIA 24 The Right to Adequate Housing Government Failures and Violations Lagos State (Lagos) 26 Overview Maroko Community Badiya Community Makoko Community Bearing the Brunt of Forced Evictions: the Housing Rights of Women Government Response to Concerns Raised by COHRE Rivers State (Port Harcourt) 43 Overview Rainbow Town Community Banogoi Community (the Case of the Ogoni People) Intervention by Non-Governmental Organisations Government Response to Concerns Raised by COHRE Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja 48 Overview The Abuja Demolitions (Year 2000) Intervention by Non-Governmental Organisations Government Response to Concerns Raised by COHRE Kaduna State (Kaduna) 54 Overview Ethnic Rivalry, Religious and Communal Clashes Land Acquisition Intervention by Non-Governmental Organisations CONCLUSIONS 57 RECOMMENDATIONS 59 5 Chapter 2: The Gambia 61 INTRODUCTION 62 Objectives and Report Outline PERSPECTIVE ON THE GAMBIA 63 Geographical and Socio-Economic Overview Legal System National Legal Framework International Legal Obligations LAND AND HOUSING 66 Slums in The Gambia Kottu Sillo Community Bundung Community Policies and Programmes The Government Non-Governmental Organisations The Position of Gambian Women CONCLUSIONS 74 RECOMMENDATIONS 75 Chapter 3: Senegal 76 INTRODUCTION 77 Objectives Report Outline PERSPECTIVE ON SENEGAL 78 Geographical and Political Overview Physical and Social Geography Politics Dispute over Casamance Housing Rights Legal Framework Domestic Law International law Economic Development HOUSING RIGHTS VIOLATIONS 85 Forced Evictions Baraka Slum Community Capatage Slum Community The Current Housing Situation 6 Government Housing Policies and Programmes Housing reconstruction and regularisation Access to adequate housing Access to land Access to credit Access to essential services CONCLUSIONS 90 RECOMMENDATIONS 92 Chapter 4: Sierra Leone 93 INTRODUCTION 94 Aftermath of Civil War Objectives and Report Outline PERSPECTIVE ON SIERRA LEONE 95 Geographical, Historical and Political Overview Physical and Social Geography Pre-War Political History The Civil War and its Causes Housing Rights Legal Framework Domestic Law and Policy International Law Economic Overview ADDRESSING THE POST-WAR HOUSING CRISIS 103 Slum Communities and IDP Camps Kroo Bay Slum Community Aberdeen Amputee Camp Cline Town National Workshop IDP Camp Waterloo IDP Camp Reconstruction and Repatriation Efforts Government Efforts Housing Demolitions and Evictions The Role of International NGOs The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) CAUSE Canada Catholic Relief Services (CRS) UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) CONCLUSIONS 113 RECOMMENDATIONS 114 Annex 1: References, Chapter 1 116 7 Introduction Throughout the world today, governments are realising that the protection of human rights is of paramount importance, and that their responsibility to provide and safeguard these basic and elemental rights for their people must be among their highest priorities. The right to adequate housing is fundamental, and is, in truth, essential for the enjoyment of all other recognised basic rights. People must have a decent, safe and secure place to live before they can be properly fed and educated. They must be adequately housed before they can be truly protected from violence or discrimination. Over the last several decades the struggle for political independence and freedom from colonialism and military dictatorship consumed many African nations, and attracted much of the attention of the international community. The redress of old wrongs is certainly a step forward, and though violence and bloodshed are never justified, the move toward independence and enlightened leadership by many of these countries is to be commended. Now, however, the individual Governments need to turn their resources to the provision of inalienable economic, social and cultural rights. At the forefront of these efforts must be a focus on adequately housing the people who comprise their respective nations. International attention has shifted as well, from the violent struggles of recent history, to providing support for the provision of basic and fundamental human rights. Forced evictions, unfortunately a common practice in many of these countries, are not only morally reprehensible; they are a violation of international human rights law. The United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) has affirmed that forced evictions are a “gross violation of human rights”. The United Nations International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (UNICESCR), in Article 11(1), obliges States which are Party to it to protect the right to adequate housing. A similar obligation arises under the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR). The United Nations