Arusha, Tanzania
In a bold move that could redefine Africa’s legal response to the climate crisis, a coalition of civil society groups is taking their fight for environmental justice to the highest human rights court on the continent.
On Friday, 2 May, legal activists, environmental campaigners, and grassroots leaders will formally submit a petition to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Arusha. The petition seeks an Advisory Opinion clarifying African states’ human rights obligations in the face of worsening climate impacts.
It is the first time that the African Court’s advisory powers will be used to address climate change—a moment campaigners are calling historic.
“Africa contributes little to the global climate crisis but suffers some of its harshest impacts,” said Alfred Brownell, lead campaigner for the African Climate Platform. “This petition is a plea for justice on behalf of millions of Africans who are bearing the brunt of environmental harm they did not cause.”
The petition, supported by organisations including Natural Justice, Resilient40, and the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU), calls on the Court to interpret how the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, along with other regional treaties, should be applied to climate change. Among the key issues raised are the right to a healthy environment, the need for just energy transitions, and state accountability for protecting vulnerable communities.
Climate Change as a Human Rights Crisis
Across the continent, campaigners say the human costs of climate change are escalating—destroying lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems.
“Southern Africa is experiencing its worst drought in over a century,” said Lucien Limacher, a lawyer with Natural Justice in South Africa. “Sixty-one million people are at risk of hunger. Women and girls are paying the highest price, facing school disruptions, increased domestic workloads, and greater exposure to violence.”
In North Africa, water scarcity and mass displacement are becoming routine.
“This is not a distant threat,” said Egyptian human rights defender Ahmad Abdallah. “From empty dams in Morocco to the tragedy in Derna, climate change is here—and it’s a daily human rights emergency.”
In West Africa, campaigners like Peter Quaqua of Liberia warn that heatwaves and agricultural collapse are pushing communities to the brink.
“Our economies are burning, our youth are desperate, and still the world expects Africa to absorb the shock,” Quaqua said.
A Legal Turning Point
The petition urges the Court to establish legal clarity on states’ duties to protect the rights to life, health, food, water, housing, and a safe environment. It also seeks to hold historical polluters—particularly multinational corporations—to account.
“Environmental harm is not just an ecological problem,” said June Cynthia Okelo, Economic Governance Officer at PALU. “It’s a human rights crisis. And courts must now rise to meet this challenge.”
The petition also addresses the Kampala Convention, which governs internal displacement, and the Maputo Protocol on women’s rights—pointing to the disproportionate impact of climate change on women, Indigenous groups, and young people.
“Climate change compounds the inequalities African women and girls already face,” said Shahinaz Adel, an Egyptian activist. “They are breadwinners, caregivers, and now frontline victims.”
A Continent-Wide Call for Justice
For many involved in the Arusha petition, this is more than a legal action—it is a collective cry for justice from across Africa’s five regions.
From Congo to Namibia, civil society leaders are calling for greater protection of land rights defenders, recognition of Indigenous knowledge, and reform of natural resource governance. They are also demanding an end to reprisals against activists.
“We are standing up for the people who risk their lives to defend Africa’s natural heritage,” said Dr Paul Mulindwa of CIVICUS. “Too often, their voices are silenced or ignored.”
After the petition is filed, representatives will hold a press briefing at the Court to explain their case and the broader implications of the legal action.
If the Court responds favourably, it could set a new precedent in global climate law—linking environmental responsibility directly to human rights, and compelling African governments to act with urgency.
“Africa must not be a dumping ground or a shock absorber for historical polluters,” said Brownell. “We are asking the Court to help us define a future where justice and dignity are not sacrificed to climate breakdown.”
