The African Context of Human Rights Claude Ake Nobody can accuse Africa of taking human rights seriously. In a world which sees concern for human rights as a mark of civilized sensitivity, this in- difference has given Africa a bad name. It is not unlikely that many consider it symptomatic of the rawness of life which has always been associated with Africa.
people believe there is some special connection between the democratic form of government and the party system so that one cannot exist without the other. This belief is strengthened by the fact that the freedom to form as many parties as people want is seen to be incompatible with a totalitarian r?gime.
Last year, 1985, the 30th anniversary of the Freedom Charter,
saw an impressive regrouping, through the United Democratic
Front, of political forces which identify with the Congress
Alliance of the 1950s and with the Freedom Charter itself to
which this movement gave birth. It seems appropriate then, at