The quality of freedoms across the african small island developing states

Apart from Mauritius, five of the six African small island developing States (ASIDS) are relatively new to democracy with several only transitioning from one-party states to multiparty states in the early 1990s. As signatories to the Banjul Charter and several other international and regional conventions that promote democracy and human rights, the ASIDS are committed to upholding and promoting the fundamental freedoms of their people. This article examines, by way of a comparative analysis, the extent to which citizens within the ASIDS are free (including freedom from personal indignities and intimidation), that is the degree to which their civil and political rights are guaranteed in practice. In pursuit of this, a research sub-questions is: To what degree are de jure civil and political rights guaranteed in practice (de facto)? Findings reveal that both vital legislation and political will do exist to protect islander freedoms. However, real, practical enjoyment is impaired by a lack of capacity and a tendency by some to count immovable traditions as preferable to advancement and recognition of equal freedoms.