Celebrating 20YearsDefendingDefenders

DefendDefenders was established in 2005 as the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project and registered as a foreign Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in Uganda. DefendDefenders exists to strengthen the work of Human Rights Defenders in the sub-region by reducing their vulnerability to the risk of persecution and by enhancing their capacity to effectively defend human rights.

DefendDefenders is dedicated to ensuring the protection, safety, and overall wellbeing of human rights defenders (HRDs). The organisation works to reduce the risks HRDs face and to strengthen their ability to promote and protect human rights. This includes providing emergency support, building skills and capacity, offering safety and protection services, and advocating for HRDs at national, regional, and international levels.

DefendDefenders serves as the Secretariat of the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (EHAHRD-Net), representing thousands of HRDs and their organisations across the following countries: Burundi, Djibouti, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia/Somaliland, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Additionally, DefendDefenders hosts the secretariat of AfricanDefenders (Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network) and holds consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and observer status with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR).