Report on Human Rights Defenders to the 44th Ordinary Session of the African Commission

Federal Republic of Somalia Joint Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review 52nd Session of the UPR Working Group

1.1 The East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (DefendDefenders) is a regional CSO registered and based in Uganda. Established in 2005,

Ryota Jonen’s Front-Row View of DefendDefenders

There are individuals who have watched – from a front-row seat vantage point – the evolution of DefendDefenders, from its inception 20 years ago to the present day. World Movement for Democracy’s former director, Ryota Jonen, is among those close and trusted allies who have stood the test of time. He recalls how a much younger DefendDefenders made a lasting impression on him at the 2009 “Jo’burg +10” event.

Bi- Annual Report MAY- OCTOBER 2025

DefendDefenders (the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project) welcomes the opportunity offered by the 85th ordinary session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (hereafter “the Commission”) to highlight the most pressing human rights issues in the East and Horn of Africa sub-region for the period May to October 2025.

DefendDefenders and AfricanDefenders Statements at ACHPR85

DefendDefenders (the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project) welcomes the opportunity provided by the 85th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) to present an overview of the state of democracy, rule of law, and human rights in the East and Horn of Africa.

SOJOUD OMER AHMED ELGARRAI: “How his father’s ordeal made him more determined and committed to the cause.”

“Quite early in my career, when I was working with the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Sudan, I experienced firsthand just how dangerous human rights work can be. Some of my colleagues and I were detained from 8am to 8pm, and we were interrogated for hours before being released. But that ordeal only made me more determined and committed to the cause, and over the years, I have faced repeated threats, intimidation and targeting due to my journalism work and human rights advocacy.”

SULEIMAN SSENYONJO: “Standing up for the rights of people on the Island.”

“In 2013, DefendDefenders invited me to the official launch of the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders – Uganda (NCHRD-U), which was the first such umbrella organisation for all HRDs in Uganda. I attended the launch and returned to Kalangala even more motivated to pursue my human rights work.”