The Very Survival of Africa ’s Indigenous Peoples ‘Seriously Threatened’

The Indigenous World 2017. Credit: IWGIABy Baher KamalROME, May 3 2017 (IPS)The cultures and very survival of indigenous peoples in Africa are seriously threatened. They are ignored, neglected and fall victims of land grabbing and land dispossession caused by extractive industries, agribusiness and other forms of business operations. These are some of the key findings of a major report “The Indigenous World 2017,” on the state of indigenous peoples worldwide, issued on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.The report, launched on 25 April by the International Working Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGI) during the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues meeting (24 April—5 May), emphasises that in spite of progress, there are still major challenges facing indigenous peoples in Africa.Africa is home to an estimated 50 million indigenous peoples, that’s around 13 per cent of the total of 270 million indigenous peoples worldwide. They live in all regions of Africa, with large concentrations in North Africa where the Amazigh people live. In West Africa, there are large pastoralist populations in countries like Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Cameroon etc.There are also large concentrations of indigenous peoples in East Africa with big pastoralist populations in countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Hunter-gatherers are found in many countries in central and Southern Africa, though they are smal...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: Global & Universal Authors: Tags: Africa Biodiversity Climate Change Development & Aid Environment Featured Food & Agriculture Global Headlines Health Human Rights Indigenous Rights IPS UN: Inside the Glasshouse TerraViva United Nations Women & Economy Source Type: news