African Assembly for the Defense of Human Rights

The African Assembly for the Defense of Human Rights, better known by its French acronym RADDHO (Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de l'Homme), is a pan-African human rights non-governmental organization founded on 21 April 1990 by a group of African intellectuals, mostly researchers and teachers affiliated with Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar. Headquartered in Dakar, Senegal, RADDHO works for the protection and promotion of human rights at national, regional and international levels. It also works for the implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and for respect of international human rights treaties and conventions. RADDHO's mission, as stated on its official website, is to end rape and pedophilia in Senegal, and it campaigns against violence against women and girls. Its permanent areas of mobilization include defense of civil and political liberties; children's rights; denunciation of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment; arbitrary arrests and detention; emergency alert, prevention, mediation and resolution of conflicts in West Africa; and the fight against the proliferation of small arms, including through mine bans. The organization also monitors respect for the independence of the judiciary and the right to a fair trial for all, and conducts studies, investigations and analyses that enable emergency alert and conflict prevention. RADDHO is a pioneering organization of Senegalese civil society and enjoys international recognition. It obtained special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2003 and is an observer member of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. It is a member of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) network and affiliated with the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). Its flagship activities include information, training, counseling and research, as well as election observation and human rights advocacy at national and international forums. Over the decades, RADDHO has conducted concrete interventions in Senegal and beyond. As early as 1994, it investigated refugees and displaced persons in Casamance and documented, alongside Amnesty International, cases of systematic torture attributed to security forces in the region. In 1995, its participation in the United Nations meeting against torture contributed directly to the incorporation into the Senegalese Penal Code of provisions consistent with the Convention against Torture. In 2000 and 2001, it played an international role at the World Conference against Racism in Durban, where Alioune Tine served as coordinator of the African NGO Forum. In 2001, it observed legislative and local elections in Senegal, and its observer role became the subject of a major political conflict in 2011-2012 when the spokesman of President Abdoulaye Wade's office publicly declared the intention to withdraw its accreditation, accusing it of bias; Alioune Tine firmly rejected this exclusion in the name of civil society independence. In 2004 and 2005, it conducted a national awareness campaign against small arms, which led in July 2007 to a crisis when decommissioned weapons linked to the campaign were discovered in its premises by a police officer; OMCT and FIDH intervened to demand that the authorities end the ensuing harassment. In 2014, RADDHO joined with the Senegalese Human Rights League (LSDH) and Amnesty International Senegal (AI/SN) to condemn violence in Senegal. After the 2024 presidential election that brought Bassirou Diomaye Faye to power, RADDHO welcomed the opening, in October 2025, of hearings for victims and families of persons who died during political violence between 2021 and 2024; while welcoming this judicial advance, its secretary-general Mamadou Seck stressed the need for investigations to be conducted with serenity and impartiality.

The African Assembly for the Defense of Human Rights, known by its French acronym RADDHO (Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de l'Homme), was founded on 21 April 1990 by a group of African intellectuals, mostly researchers and teachers affiliated with Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar. It is a pan-African association dedicated to the promotion, defense and protection of human rights in Senegal and across the African continent. From its early years, RADDHO built a record of concrete interventions covering both national fieldwork and international forums. As early as 1994, RADDHO conducted investigations into refugees and displaced persons in Casamance and documented, alongside Amnesty International, cases of systematic torture attributed to security forces in that region. Despite its repeated requests, Senegalese authorities systematically refused to acknowledge these facts. In 1995, its participation in the United Nations meeting against torture contributed directly to the incorporation into the Senegalese Penal Code of provisions consistent with the Convention against Torture, as recommended by the UN Committee. In 2000 and 2001, RADDHO played an international role at the World Conference against Racism in Durban, where Alioune Tine served as coordinator of the African NGO Forum, placing the organization at the heart of continental advocacy against racism and xenophobia. In 2001, it observed legislative and local elections in Senegal. Its observer role became the subject of a major political conflict in 2011-2012, when the spokesman of President Abdoulaye Wade's office publicly declared the intention to withdraw its accreditation, accusing it of bias. Alioune Tine firmly rejected this exclusion in the name of civil society independence. In May 2003, RADDHO obtained special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). In 2004 and 2005, it conducted a national awareness campaign against small arms, which led in July 2007 to a crisis when decommissioned weapons linked to the campaign were discovered in its premises by a police officer. OMCT and FIDH immediately intervened to demand that the authorities end the ensuing harassment. RADDHO also regularly participates in sessions of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights as an observer member and hosts training workshops on the Universal Periodic Review for Senegalese civil society organizations. In 2014, RADDHO united with the Senegalese Human Rights League (LSDH) and Amnesty International Senegal (AI/SN) to condemn violence in Senegal. After the 2024 presidential election that brought Bassirou Diomaye Faye to power, RADDHO welcomed the opening, in October 2025, of hearings for victims and families of persons who died during political violence between 2021 and 2024. While welcoming this judicial advance, its secretary-general Mamadou Seck stressed the need for investigations to be conducted with serenity and impartiality, the only guarantees capable of establishing the truth and serving as a foundation for national reconciliation. RADDHO is a member of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) network and affiliated with the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). It has held special consultative status with ECOSOC since 2003 and is an observer member of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights of the African Union. Its mission, as stated on its official website, is to end rape and pedophilia in Senegal, and it campaigns against violence against women and girls. Its permanent areas of mobilization include defense of civil and political liberties; children's rights; denunciation of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment; arbitrary arrests and detention; emergency alert, prevention, mediation and resolution of conflicts in West Africa; and the fight against the proliferation of small arms, including through mine bans. It also monitors respect for the independence of the judiciary and the right to a fair trial for all, and conducts studies, investigations and analyses that enable emergency alert and conflict prevention.

• RADDHO founded in Dakar by a group of African intellectuals, mostly from Cheikh Anta Diop University.

• Conducted investigations into refugees and displaced persons in Casamance and documented systematic torture cases alongside Amnesty International.

• Participated in the United Nations meeting against torture, contributing to the incorporation of Convention against Torture provisions into the Senegalese Penal Code.

• Played an international role at the World Conference against Racism in Durban; Alioune Tine served as coordinator of the African NGO Forum.

• Observed legislative and local elections in Senegal.

• Obtained special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

• Conducted a national awareness campaign against small arms.

• Crisis when decommissioned weapons linked to the small arms campaign were discovered in RADDHO premises; OMCT and FIDH intervened.

• Political conflict over RADDHO's election observer accreditation; Alioune Tine rejected the withdrawal in the name of civil society independence.

• Joined with LSDH and Amnesty International Senegal to condemn violence in Senegal.

• Welcomed the opening of hearings for victims and families of persons who died during political violence between 2021 and 2024.

Pan-African human rights NGO with special consultative status at the UN ECOSOC and observer status at the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, focused on Senegal and West Africa.

• Information and documentation on human rights

  Informing for action: access to reliable and committed information.

• Training programs

  Training to transform: skills for change.

• Counseling and victim support

  Listening, accompanying, guiding: tailored support at every step.

• Research and analysis

  Understanding to act better: research at the heart of our commitment.

1. 1Mettre fin aux viols et à la pédophilie au Sénégal.raddho-africa.org
2. 2A Propos de Nousraddho-africa.org
3. 3African Assembly for the Defense of Human Rightswikidata.org
4. 4Rencontre africaine pour la défense des droits de l'hommefr.wikipedia.org