CSOs urge Government to stop ejection along railway lines
Amnesty International and some other civil society organisations, on Tuesday appealed to the Government to stop the forced eviction of people living in informal settlements along the railways in Accra.
A statement issued and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra said “These structures are home to thousands of poor people, including widows, children, the old and infirm. Their eviction, without the provision of adequate alternative accommodation and compensation, will only deepen their poverty.”
It was issued jointly by Amnesty International, Combined Harare Residents Association of Zimbabwe, CMAP, GHAFUP, Habitat International Coalition, Housing Rights and Eviction Hatcliffe, International Alliance of Inhabitants, Ngazi Ya Chini, Wanawake Mashinani Initiative of Bunge La Mwananthi Women’s Social Movement and Women in Slums Economic Empowerment (WISEEP).
They contended that on January 21, 2011 the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) announced it would demolish structures built near railway lines in Accra, for construction and expansion work on the lines, planned as part of a nationwide revamping of the railway infrastructure, to begin in February.
They said government had not carried out an enumeration of the affected people living in houses along the railway line.
“Enumeration would enable the authorities to collect detailed information about individuals considered for eviction and their circumstances. Without an enumeration exercise the government has no way of knowing who they are evicting, whether young children, an ill or disabled person, or an old person lives in a structure. An eviction that is blind to the circumstances of residents and that does not provide for the welfare and wellbeing of people cannot be justified,” they said.
In addition, the statement said to protect people from forced evictions, international law required every government to ensure that people had access to adequate housing.
“This means the Government must not, through their actions, policies and practices, render people homeless and destitute. The wholesale destruction of homes without safeguarding the human rights of those affected is reprehensible.
“The Government must ensure that its developmental aspirations are taken forward in a way where people, who are already living in poverty, are not left out of the process and forced deeper into poverty. Any development programme should be carried out in a manner that protects the rights of people who may be affected,” the statement added.
It said although the organisations appreciated the authorities’ intention to redevelop the railway system and the benefits it would accrue to the people of Ghana, this must be done in a manner which respected human rights and should not leave people homeless.
Under international human rights law and standards it is clear that even in situations under which an eviction may be considered justified, it should be carried out in strict compliance with the relevant provisions of international human rights law and in accordance with general principles of reasonableness and proportionality.
The authorities must also ensure that they put in place a mechanism that ensures that the railway dwellers can challenge administrative decisions relating to their presence along the railway as well as measures relating to their relocation.
The AMA has failed to put safeguards in place, which are required under international law before any evictions are undertaken and to develop plans to provide adequate alternative housing to those residents who face homelessness and destitution if evicted.
“We urge the Government to suspend the eviction of people from their homes until the mandatory legal protections and safeguards are in place and an enumeration of affected communities has been completed; and to seek durable solutions to ensure the right to adequate housing of all people living along the railway is respected. This includes the right not to be subjected to a forced eviction,” it said.
According to the signatories to the statement on January 21, 2011, officials from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA) visited communities along the railway lines in Accra.
They issued fresh eviction notices to those people living within 160 metres of the tracks.
The eviction notices did not tell people the date that they would be evicted. However, the AMA Chief Executive stated that the AMA would ensure that homes and businesses were demolished in order to pave way for construction work to begin in February.
On January 25, buildings were painted with the words “Remove by January 25 2011 by AMA”. Threats were allegedly made on January 31, 2011 to evict people from their homes at night.
Under international law, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), to which Ghana is a State Party, the government is prohibited from carrying out forced evictions, and must protect people from forced evictions.
Source: GNA