Before the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, the Republic of the Congo) became independent in 1960, Patrice Émery Lumumba, a historical figure in the continent-wide independence movement, emphasized that self-determination in Africa was a fundamental human right, underscoring the relevance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the fight for independence.
“Let today give proof of the principle of equality and friendship between races that its sons have always taught us as we sat at our desks in school, a principle written in capital letters in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” Mr. Lumumba said in 1959 at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, a renowned center of intellectual ferment in colonial Africa.
“Africans must be just as free as other citizens of the human family to enjoy the fundamental liberties outlined in this declaration and the rights proclaimed in the United Nations Charter,” he added.
Paradoxically, in 1948 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ most enthusiastic supporters, including Belgium, France, Great Britain, Portugal, and Spain, still possessed colonies in Africa in which most natives were subjects rather than citizens. Nevertheless, the declaration’s proclamation of universal equality, freedom, and justice strengthened the momentum toward self-determination in Africa and helped usher in an era of sovereign countries. It would also inspire several liberation movements, including those that fought against apartheid in South Africa.
The right to asylum, freedom from torture, free speech, and education are some of the 30 rights and freedoms contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It also addresses civil and political rights, including the right to life, liberty, and privacy, in addition to economic, social, and cultural rights.
It sets the basic standards of individual rights and, over the years, has inspired several human rights legislations across the world, including the Freedom Charter in South Africa.
Unsurprisingly, anti-apartheid activists worldwide would draw on the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in their fight. In 1955 then-president of the African National Congress, Chief Albert Luthuli, said, “People from all walks of life [must meet] as equals, irrespective of race, color, and creed, to formulate a Freedom Charter for all people in the country.”
