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Reports by reliable sources have it that all 54 African nations across the continent are demanding that the United Nations Human Rights Council initiate an urgent debate on racism and police brutalities following the George Floyd incident in the United States.
The request was made by the nations on Friday in a letter they all signed and addressed to council President Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger, EyeGamia reported.
The African group is demanding the content of the debate to center on “racially inspired human rights violations, police brutality against people of African descent and the violence against the peaceful protests that call for these injustices to stop.”
The letter, reportedly written by Burkina Faso’s ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, which was accepted and signed by all. The coalition of African states requested that this debate be held immediately the council’s 43rd session resumes from the coronavirus outbreak next week.
According to the proceedings of the council, a request of such nature is only considered by the house when it is backed by at least one state. A council spokesperson told reporters that, the massive support from all the 54 nations “increases the chances” of the debate taking place.