CAGE Africa opens Cape Town office
Cape Town - CAGE Africa has opened an office in Cape Town, South Africa in order to extend the organisation in Africa and continue to cement its support for the London office of CAGE. CAGE advocates for the rights of communities impacted by the War on Terror. We campaign for due process, the principle of the rule of law and dialogue as means of ending the War on Terror. Under the banner of the War on Terror, in 2013, the combined total of all U.S. military actions on the African continent reached 546, an average of more than one mission per day, but last year, that number jumped to 674. Under AFRICOM - the United States’ Africa Command - American military involvement in Africa is direct and long-term, set out in their Posture Statement to extend as far as 2044. US efforts dovetail with local government counter-terrorism policies that are used against ordinary Muslims, journalists and activists - as a means of cracking down on dissent. On top of this, the number of private military contractors operating within the aims of the US-led War on Terror in Africa has increased as the US seeks to secure more of a footprint on the continent but is hesitant to deploy US troops to do so. These companies continue to operate in an area where there is a lack of accountability, where human rights abuses can and do occur. The US has also been building a number of drone bases on the African continent and in South Africa, legislation leaves loopholes for armed drones to be operated within the country’s airspace. Drones are used for surveillance as part of the War on Terror, and in some cases extrajudicial killings. CAGE Africa is currently campaigning the South African government to accept between 1 and 11 cleared Guantanamo Bay detainees. We have also published a personal account of Guantanamo Bay prison by Abdul Salaam Zaeef, entitled Ambassador POW. We also interact with the press on a broad range of issues, from Guantanamo to the issue of returnees from Syria and Iraq. Karen Jayes, CAGE Africa co-ordinator, said: “This marks a new chapter in the life of CAGE Africa where we are increasing our capability to assist those who are negatively impacted by oppressive policies employed in the name of the War on Terror in Africa.” “We aim to reverse the prevailing War on Terror narratives prevalent in South Africa, by highlighting how they create an atmosphere of suspicion that betrays the country’s multicultural ethos.” “We welcome communication from community leaders, members of the public sector and the media, as well as any member of the public interested in hearing more about what we do.” Press enquiries: Karen Jayes Co-ordinator \karen@cageuk.org Cage Prisoners NPC trading as CAGE Africa Ground Floor, State Street House River Park Gloucester Road Mowbray, 7700 Cape Town Tel: +27 (0)21 680 5270 Fax: +27 (0) 21 680 5011
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