Dr. Ayitegan Kouevi

Expert Profile
Name: Dr. Ayitegan Kouevi
Profile by: Lucy Mulenkei
Togo

Dr. Ayitegan Kouevi is from Togo and is the Indigenous Peoples Permanent Forum expert from Africa. A lawyer, Kouevi has long been interested in Indigenous Issues and has been a member of the Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee of Africa (IPACC). He comes to the Permanent Forum with a vision to advance the struggle for indigenous peoples of Africa who have been isolated for so long from the mainstream.

It is a challenge for him and for many who are working with indigenous issues. The main challenge according to Kouevi is the issue of identity in Africa. "Indeed the question often asked here and everywhere is whether indigenous populations really exist in Africa. My personal opinion is a simple, unequivocal "yes". The "dark continent," also known as the cradle of mankind, is home to thousands of groups that consider themselves indigenous . These indigenous groups share the same anxieties, problems, desires, and hopes as the other indigenous groups of the world; the hope of living in peace and prosperity and preserve their cultural identity and traditions". Africa is where the human species originated and so we face the problem of everyone believing they are indigenous. The important thing is not to dwell on that issue so much, as it may not take us too far. Mr. Kouevi recognises that there are groups who have self-identification because of the fact of their distinction, and they have been denied their cultural, economic, political and social rights. They have also been denied the right to their natural resources, their lands, and at times their identity. Indigenous peoples of Africa are also well known for the struggle for their cultural heritage.

The identifying features also includes: First peoples of a territory

• Cultural and sometimes linguistic distinctiveness, associated with indigenous identity and beliefs
• Political, social, and economic marginalization
• A close relationship to the land and the sustainable use of natural resources
• A specific bloodline claim to a specific territory
• Some indigenous peoples are physically distinct from the dominant groups.

Kouevi is aware of the African Governments' lack of support and participation in indigenous issues. He is fundraising to have meetings at sub-regional levels with NGOs, international organizations, and governments in order to inform them of the progress made by indigenous peoples of Africa. He believes that this is important to influence governments to review their constitutions to include the views and recommendations of Indigenous peoples of Africa and to influence their recognition. So far he has been in close contact with other regional bodies, especially the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights. This Commission has already made a step ahead in Africa in integrating indigenous peoples issues. There is already an indigenous African working closely with the Commission to advise on indigenous peoples issues with a main focus on Africa.

In Africa it is very difficult to work effectively, because of communication problems. Indigenous peoples live in areas where there is hardly any transportation, telephone, or Internet. Some areas have no electricity. With this in view, a small team was nominated by indigenous peoples to be Mr. Kouevi's support committee. There are six contact people from North, West, Central, East and Southern Africa. These indigenous persons are at the community level and are able to inform him of events and expectations at the ground level. This is important because of the language barrier.

In Africa many countries have more than twenty, or sometimes even fifty spoken languages. Kouevi is sad that even here, he and the government-appointed representative have a problem with language. Both of them speak French in an English milieu, so translation outside the main official meetings is a problem, unlike other regions who have a backup team for them.

Kouevi has a task ahead of him, especially in ensuring participation of indigenoous peoples at all levels. He has talked to many donors, and introduced them to the indigenous peoples of Africa. He hopes to continue this and keep up the spirit so that there can be more focus on the African region.