(New York, September 22, 1998) — Human Rights Watch today urged President Bill Clinton to raise urgent human rights concerns in his September 23 meeting with General Abdulsalami Abubakar, when the new Nigerian head of state visits New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly.
In a letter to Clinton released today, Human Rights Watch called on the president to indicate that U.S. technical assistance in conducting elections, and the lifting of U.S. sanctions against Nigeria, including visa restrictions, will be conditional on progress in addressing human rights.
The new transition program instituted by General Abubakar is clearly far more deserving of international engagement than the discredited Abacha program, the letter said. But Human Rights Watch shares the concerns of Nigerian human rights and prodemocracy groups that the military still exercises too much control over the process. "Describing the new electoral commission as the 'Independent' National Electoral Commission, does not in itself guarantee independence," said Peter Takirambudde, executive director of the Africa division of Human Rights Watch.
Many repressive decrees remain in force, including those allowing detention without trial, suspending constitutional human rights protections, and restricting freedom of the press. "Respect for the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association is crucial to a credible political process," said Takirambudde. Human Rights Watch called on Bill Clinton to press General Abubakar to repeal these laws, to release the remaining political prisoners still held in Nigerian jails, and to ensure the widest possible participation in the electoral process.
