Why AFORBO: The Case for an African Observatory

Freedom of religion or belief is a cornerstone of human dignity and a fundamental human right, and a condition for sustainable peace, social cohesion, democratic governance, and spiritual flourishing. Yet across many parts of Africa this freedom remains fragile, and the mechanisms to protect it are often weak, under-resourced, or absent. Communities face religious discrimination, violent extremism, coercion and forced conversion, onerous registration requirements, and in some jurisdictions, blasphemy and apostasy laws that criminalize religious expression or conversion.

Africa’s primary human-rights instrument, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Banjul Charter, 1981/1986), guarantees freedom of conscience and religious practice in Article 8, but unlike the UDHR and ICCPR, it does not explicitly recognize the right to change one’s religion, and its enforcement varies significantly across states. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights oversees implementation, but its recommendations are largely non-binding. This is precisely the gap AFORBO is designed to fill.

Our Objectives

• Monitor and report on the state of religious freedom and freedom of belief by collecting and analyzing data through surveys, research, and consultation with diverse stakeholders.
• Advocate for legal and policy reform by providing evidence-based recommendations to governments, RECs, and the African Union.
• Support victims of religious discrimination or persecution through legal aid, moral, and institutional assistance.
• Build capacity among community leaders, faith-based organizations, legal professionals, and policymakers.
• Promote interfaith dialogue by creating platforms for collaboration among religious traditions.
• Conduct research and inform policy by producing and disseminating studies on religion, law, and society.
• Complement African Union efforts by collaborating with AU organs such as the ACHPR, ECOSOCC, PAPS, and CIDO, and with RECs.
• Raise public awareness of religious freedom through media, education, and community engagement.

The Four-Level Operational Framework

To ensure a comprehensive and effective structure for monitoring and promoting religious freedom, AFORBO operates at four interdependent levels. Information flows upward from the grassroots to the continent, while support, standards, and advocacy flow back down.

• Grassroots Level: Trained focal persons monitor, document, and report violations; secure and confidential reporting mechanisms protect individuals from retaliation; local conflict mediation is led by trained religious leaders.
• National Level: National Religious Freedom Observatories and Chapters work with interfaith councils and Justice and Peace Commissions; national authorities are engaged to align domestic laws with the African Charter; victim support and legal aid are provided.
• Regional Level: Regional Observatories within each REC consolidate national reports, exchange best practice, and publish annual regional reports with policy recommendations.
• Continental Level: The Board and Executive Secretariat provide continental leadership, advise the African Union, build legal partnerships with the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and publish the Annual State of Religious Freedom in Africa Report.