Attended by President of the CNDH Amina Bouayach and representatives of African network members, the inauguration ceremony was an opportunity to welcome the collective commitment of human rights defenders in Africa and their shared determination to prevent torture on the continent.

Establishing the permanent secretariat of the African network in Morocco aligns with efforts of national torture preventive mechanisms to prevent this crime against humanity on the continent, and reaffirms Africa's determination to protect human dignity and create a common continental front against this practice. 

In addition to institutionalizing efforts and establishing solid foundations and dynamic operational structures during its first mandate, the network makes it its mission to facilitate joint action, coordinating activities of national torture preventive mechanisms at regional and continental levels, as well as strengthening technical support, sharing best practices and building the capacities of national torture preventive mechanisms in Africa.

In a statement to the press, coordinator of the National Preventive Mechanism against Torture Mohamed Benajiba said that this event falls within the framework of activating the African network of national preventive mechanisms against torture, following the constitution phase started in Marrakech in 2023 and the second in Cape Verde. 

Benajiba explained that Morocco, which set up its national mechanism in 2019, carried out 169 visits after five years, noting that the Kingdom is currently a model to follow in Africa.

For his part, President of Senegal's National Observatory of Places of Deprivation of Liberty Madiaw Diaw stated that participation in this initiative was motivated by the willingness to promote sharing and exchanging African experience in torture prevention, and to examine ways of federating efforts to achieve fruitful results. 

The inauguration of the permanent secretariat headquarters in Morocco was an opportunity for the seven members of the steering committee to prepare for the general assembly, to be held shortly in Cape Verde, and to share their views on the subject, he added. 

For his part, Chairman of Mauritania's National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture Al Bekay Abdelmalek felt honored to be part of this network, which includes Morocco, Senegal, Mauritania, Cape Verde, South Africa and Mozambique, noting that the aim is to work together to improve these mechanisms in order to respect the rights and dignity of every individual. 

He also emphasized that this inauguration of the permanent secretariat in Morocco, which chairs the network, reflects the determination of the members to establish close collaboration in order to guarantee positive results. 

The African Network of National Preventive Mechanisms against Torture, an initiative which foundations were laid in Marrakech in 2023, embodies Africa's common goal of promoting the defense of human rights and protecting their dignity through institutional and sustainable African cooperation.