Resolution on Expulsion in Africa

CM/Res. 645 (XXXI)

RESOLUTION ON EXPULSIONS IN AFRICA

The Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity, meeting in its Thirty-First Ordinary Session in Khartoum, Democratic Republic of the Sudan, from 7 to 18 July 1978,

Desirous of respecting the fundamental principles of the OAU Charter, which were freely accepted by all Member States,

Recalling the Preamble of the OAU Charter which reaffirms the fundamental principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in its Articles V, VIII, XIII, XXVIII and XXIX as well as in Article I of the UN Charter.

Conscious of the paramount need to preserve the spirit of tolerance, mutual understanding and solidarity among Member States consonant to paragraphs 4 and 8 of the Preamble and sub paragraphs 1 and 2 of Article II of the OAU Charter,

Cognizant of the fact that free entry and residence by any African on the territory of any OAU Member State constitutes an important factor of exchange for the realization of African Unity,

Considering that arbitrary expulsion of nationals of any member State of the organization, constitutes a serious threat to inter-African cooperation:

1. STRONGLY RECOMMENDS that Member States of the Organization prepare an African Convention on the movement of persons and the conditions of their settlement;

2. URGES Member States of the Organization of African Unity to respect the conventions on settlement and the movement of persons, which will be negotiated and mutually accepted:

3. In this regard, CALLS UPON all Member States of the Organization, without prejudice to their sovereignty to provide for the adoption of humanitarian measures to guarantee the respect of dignity and human rights in the event of expulsions on the one hand, and a system of fair and equitable compensation on the other;