ECOWAS Court swears in five new judges

The ECOWAS Court of Justice has sworn in five new judges for a four-year term, with Senegalese President and Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, urging them to restore public confidence in regional justice.

The judges are Désiré Henri Aihou of Benin, Justice Awa Bah of The Gambia, Charlyne M. Brumskine of Liberia, Henrietta Uzoamaka Didigu of Nigeria and Yaouza Ouro-Sama of Togo.

Faye administered the oath on Tuesday at the ECOWAS Commission headquarters in Abuja, charging the judges to uphold impartiality, independence and fairness in their decisions.

He said the judges were assuming office at a critical time, with West Africa facing political, economic, security and environmental challenges that demanded stronger commitment to the rule of law and collective action.

According to him, the Court has a central role in ensuring the fair application of ECOWAS legal instruments, protecting citizens’ rights and strengthening confidence in regional institutions.

“Through its decisions, it protects rights, serves as a reminder of everyone’s obligations, and strengthens trust in our institutions,” Faye said.

The ECOWAS chairman urged the judges to allow the oath they had taken to guide their conduct throughout their tenure, particularly when determining cases before the Court.

He charged them to dispense justice according to their conscience and exercise their responsibilities without yielding to pressure from any quarter.

“That is why I urge you, throughout the duration of your mandate, to constantly keep in mind—especially at the moment of decision-making—the foundation of your oath,” he said.

Faye said the Court’s credibility would depend largely on the quality of its decisions and the confidence those decisions inspire among citizens.

He also urged the judges to build on the Court’s achievements while supporting efforts to modernise its operations and make regional justice more effective and accessible.

Earlier, ECOWAS Commission President, General Birame Diop, said the swearing-in went beyond a ceremonial exercise, describing it as a commitment by the judges to the citizens of the community and its shared legal order.

Diop said the oath required the judges to put aside personal interests and external influences and serve community law with honour, loyalty, impartiality and conscience.

“The oath marks the moment when the individual sets aside their personal interests and all external influences to serve only community law,” he said.

He added that the appointment also demonstrated member states’ recognition of the Court’s authority and their commitment to preserving its independence.

The five judges were appointed for a four-year, non-renewable term by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at its 69th Ordinary Session in Lungi, Sierra Leone, on July 19, 2026.

Their appointment followed the December 2025 Supplementary Act SA.1/12/25 on the Community Court of Justice.

Under Article 3 of the Act, the Court is to comprise five independent judges selected from member states who possess high moral character and the qualifications required for appointment to a Supreme Court or equivalent judicial office.

The new judges replace Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves of Cape Verde, Sengu Mohamed Koroma of Sierra Leone, Dupe Atoki of Nigeria, Gberi-Bè Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire and Edward Amoako Asante of Ghana, whose four-year terms had expired.