rff) 6~ttEB '1.trrm.,j Human and Peoples' Rights Human Rights our Collective Responsibility 201. The Commission notes that the right to life, in the context of indigenous communities such as the Maasai of Kedong, should be read holistically, in line with the General Comments mentioned above. In this regard, the practice of encroaching lands through expropriation, the blocking of access to and exit from lands through the construction of trenches around the disputed lands, which has caused the death of schoolchildren, constitutes an obstacle that negatively interferes with the living conditions of community members. 202. The Commission considers that these acts of the Respondent State are incompatible with its obligation to respect, protect, promote and realize the right to life provided for in Article 4 of the African Charter. The alleged violation of the right to self-determination 203. Article 20 of the African Charter provides that 1. All peoples shall have the right to existence. They shall have the unquestionable and inalienable right to self-determination. They shall freely determine their political status and shall pursue their economic and social development according to the policy they have freely chosen. 2. Colonized or oppressed peoples shall have the right to free themselves from the bonds of domination by resorting to any means recognized by the international community. All peoples shall have the right to the assistance of the State Parties to the present Charter in their liberation struggle against foreign domination, be it political, economic or cultural. 204. The Commission recalls that self-determination can be seen from both an internal and external perspective. Internal self-determination operates within the borders of a given State, and external self-determination leads to secession. In this regard , the Commission considered that self-determination can be exercised in the form of" .. . self-government, local government, federalism , confederalism."64 205. In this communication, the Complainants claim that self-determination is the fundamental right of individuals and communities to control their own d choose their government. They stress that this allows indigenous peo their traditions and culture to future generations. They argue that sel V, 64 Communication No. 75/92: Katangese People's Congress v. DRC (ACHPR) ( 1995), paro. 4. ;JJ ~,;) , r:: ! / ICAI~ ~ ~, DES pr.u~'-_ , /