The Death Penalty in Africa
Updated: July 2014
|
Country
|
Statute
|
2nd Optional Protocol to the ICCPR
|
Resolution 67/176 de December 2012 calling for a universal moratorium on the Death Penalty
|
1
|
Algeria
|
Moratorium
|
|
Pro
|
2
|
Angola
|
Abolitionist
|
Signature
|
Pro
|
3
|
Benin
|
Abolitionist
|
Ratification
|
Pro
|
4
|
Botswana
|
Retentionist
|
|
Con
|
5
|
Burkina Faso
|
Moratorium
|
|
Pro
|
6
|
Burundi
|
Abolitionist
|
|
Pro
|
7
|
Cameroun
|
Moratorium
|
|
Abstention
|
8
|
Cape -Verde
|
Abolitionist
|
Ratification
|
Pro
|
9
|
Central African Republic
|
Moratorium
|
|
Pro
|
10
|
Chad
|
Moratorium
|
|
Pro
|
11
|
Comoros
|
Retentionist
|
|
Abstention
|
12
|
Congo
|
Moratorium
|
|
Pro
|
13
|
Côte d’Ivoire
|
Abolitionist
|
|
Pro
|
14
|
Democratic republic of Congo
|
Moratorium
|
|
Abstention
|
15
|
Djibouti
|
Abolitionist
|
Ratification
|
Abstention
|
16
|
Egypt
|
Retentionist
|
|
Con
|
17
|
Equatorial Guinea
|
Retentionist
|
|
Absent
|
18
|
Eritrea
|
Moratorium
|
|
Abstention
|
19
|
Ethiopia
|
Retentionist
|
|
Con
|
20
|
Gabon
|
Abolitionist
|
|
Pro
|
21
|
Gambia
|
Retentionist
|
|
Absent
|
22
|
Ghana
|
Moratorium
|
|
Absent
|
23
|
Guinea
|
Retentionist
|
|
Abstention
|
24
|
Guinea -Bissau
|
Abolitionist
|
Ratification
|
Pro
|
25
|
Kenya
|
Moratorium
|
|
Abstention
|
26
|
Lesotho
|
Retentionist
|
|
Abstention
|
27
|
Liberia
|
Moratorium
|
Ratification*
|
Abstention
|
28
|
Libya
|
Retentionist
|
|
Con
|
29
|
Madagascar
|
Moratorium
|
Signature
|
Pro
|
30
|
Malawi
|
Moratorium
|
|
Abstention
|
31
|
Mali
|
Moratorium
|
|
Pro
|
32
|
Maurice
|
Abolitionist
|
|
Absent
|
33
|
Mauritania
|
Moratorium
|
|
Abstention
|
34
|
Mozambique
|
Abolitionist
|
Ratification
|
Pro
|
35
|
Namibia
|
Abolitionist
|
Ratification
|
Abstention
|
36
|
Niger
|
Moratorium
|
|
Abstention
|
37
|
Nigeria
|
Retentionist
|
|
Abstention
|
38
|
Rwanda
|
Abolitionist
|
Ratification
|
Pro
|
39
|
Sahara Occidental
|
Moratorium
|
Not UN member state
|
Not UN member state
|
40
|
Sao Tome and Principe
|
Abolitionist
|
Signature
|
Absent
|
41
|
Senegal
|
Abolitionist
|
|
Abstention
|
42
|
Seychelles
|
Abolitionist
|
Ratification
|
Pro
|
43
|
Sierra Leone
|
Moratorium
|
|
Pro
|
44
|
Somalia
|
Retentionist
|
|
Pro
|
45
|
Soudan
|
Retentionist
|
|
Con
|
46
|
South Africa
|
Abolitionist
|
Ratification
|
Pro
|
47
|
South Soudan
|
Retentionist
|
|
Pro
|
48
|
Swaziland
|
Moratorium
|
|
Con
|
49
|
Tanzania
|
Moratorium
|
|
Abstention
|
50
|
Togo
|
Abolitionist
|
|
Pro
|
51
|
Tunisia
|
Moratorium
|
|
Pro
|
52
|
Uganda
|
Retentionist
|
|
Con
|
53
|
Zambia
|
Moratorium
|
|
Abstention
|
54
|
Zimbabwe
|
Retentionist
|
|
Con
|
* Liberia is the only country that have reinstate the death penalty after having ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty