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International Day of the Disappeared: Algerian History and the Current Reality in Egypt and Libya

Today, 30 August, is the International Day of Enforced Disappearances, one of the cruelest human rights violations practiced in at least 40 countries according to the latest Amnesty International report.

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, the NGO with which Patrick Zaki collaborated, published alarming data on the situation in Northern Africa.

Although, given the nature of the crime, there is no exact data on the numbers of enforced disappearances in Egypt, the Egyptian Commision for Rights and Freedom reported at least 2,723 cases from 2015 to mid-2020.

In Libya, the armed militia and state are responsible for the enforced disappearances of human rights activists and political opposers. Few reports are made because of the security risks faced by those who denounce and condemn these criminal acts.

In regards to Algeria, two decades after the end of the horrible internal conflict, authorities continue to deny the existence of a policy for enforced disappearances. The result is that here, like in other places, investigations have not been carried out and the families continue to search for their loved ones in vain. It is estimated that from 1992 to 2002, between 10,000 and 20,000 people were disappeared by the Algerian state.

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