Article 20 (1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights
provides for the right to existence of a people, their self-determination as
well as economic and social development.
Article 22 makes provisions for people’s right to economic social and
cultural development with due regard to their freedom and identity and the
equal enjoyment of the common heritage of mankind.
The above articles provide for the collective rights of people to existence,
self-determination, social and economic development with regards to their
freedom and identity.
The Plaintiffs brought this action for and on behalf of the people of Ette
Community for the violation of their rights to existence and self-determination
as a Community exercisable within the Defendant State, and the rights
regarding their social, cultural and economic development as guaranteed
under the African Charter.
Article 20 and 22 of the African Charter as stated above guarantees the right
of a “people” to determine their right to existence and by virtue of that right,
they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic,
social and cultural development. These rights as enshrined under the above
Articles are classified as a collective right not an individual right. See In Kemi
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