Our continent is undergoing an extremely busy election period. There have been far too many reports of violence against peaceful protesters or the detention of political opponents.
Our democratic gains over the past two decades are being turned back in too many of our countries. This is unacceptable.
While the world is fighting to control the pandemic, some of our political leaders feel that they can act with impunity and trample on the rights of their fellow citizens.
Election processes must be clarified and agreed upon before the election, and where disputes arise, they must not be settled in the courts on the street.
We call on all parties to respect the rights and dignity of all citizens and to resolve their differences through constructive and open dialogue.