ECOWAS Court gets five new judges – Daily Trust

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Tuesday swore in five new judges of its Community Court of Justice.
The five judges are Mr Désiré Henri Aihou of Benin; Hon. Justice Awa Bah of The Gambia; Mrs Charlyne M. Brumskine of Liberia; Mrs Henrietta Uzoamaka Didigu of Nigeria; and Dr Yaouza Ouro-Sama of Togo.
Speaking at the event, the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal, charged them to strengthen public trust through impartial and credible justice.
Faye, who administered the oath at the ECOWAS Commission headquarters in Abuja, said the judges assumed office at a critical period when the region was facing political, economic, security and environmental challenges that required a firm commitment to the rule of law and collective action.
He said the Court had a central responsibility to ensure fairness in the application of ECOWAS legal instruments, protect citizens’ rights and strengthen 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 new judges to allow the oath they had taken to guide their conduct throughout their four-year tenure, particularly when deciding cases before them.
He charged them to deliver justice fairly, examine cases according to their conscience and exercise their responsibilities impartially without yielding to pressure from any source.
“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 credibility of the Court would continue to depend on the quality of its decisions and the level of trust they generated among citizens.
He urged the judges to consolidate the Court’s achievements while contributing to efforts to modernise its operations and make community justice more effective, accessible and better accepted by the public.
Earlier, ECOWAS Commission President, General Birame Diop, described the swearing-in as more than a ceremonial exercise, saying it represented a commitment by the new judges to the citizens of the community and to a common 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 said the oath also demonstrated that member states, at the highest level, recognised the authority of the Court and were committed to respecting its independence.
The new 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 held in Lungi, Sierra Leone, on July 19, 2026.
Their appointment was made pursuant to the December 2025 Supplementary Act SA.1/12/25 relating to the Community Court of Justice.
Under Article 3 of the Act, the Court is to comprise five independent judges selected from among nationals of member states who are persons of high moral character and possess the qualifications required for appointment to the Supreme Court or an equivalent judicial office.
The five judges succeeded Hon. Justice Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves of Cape Verde; Hon. Justice Sengu Mohamed Koroma of Sierra Leone; Hon. Justice Dupe Atoki of Nigeria; Hon. Justice Gberi-Bè Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire; and Hon. Justice Edward Amoako Asante of Ghana, whose four-year tenures had expired.