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Commonwealth Secretariat press release

Commonwealth Secretary-General Expresses Grave Concern over Recent Developments in Nigeria

17 July 1995

In response to a question regarding the Commonwealth's attitude to recent developments in Nigeria, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, who is in South Africa for the International Roundtable on Constitutional Development, today said:

At the Harare Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) summit in 1991, Commonwealth leaders, including the then Nigerian President, unanimously committed their countries to the practice of democracy and respect for human rights. There is therefore throughout the rest of the Commonwealth disapproval of the existence of military regimes in Nigeria, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.

Secondly, the Commonwealth Secretariat and I have continued to receive from Commonwealth members enquiries and representations expressing deep concern about reports of the arrests of pro-democracy campaigners, the continuing closure of newspapers, the suspension of habeas corpus and the secret trial by the Nigerian military government of military and civilian personnel including the country's widely known former Head of State, General Obasanjo.

Thirdly, the fact that these concerns are being conveyed to the Secretariat from all regions of the Commonwealth makes it inevitable that developments in Nigeria will receive particular attention by Commonwealth Heads of Government when they review the implementation of the association's core principles at their next summit meeting in November 1995 in Auckland, New Zealand.

In the meantime, the depths of concern expressed suggest that Commonwealth governments will want to react strongly against any developments which they see as seriously worsening the already worrying situation in Nigeria.

 

95/28 17 July 1995

 

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