Guinea Bissau’s judge emerges ECOWAS Court President

Guinea Bissau’s Justice Maria Silva has been elected the new President of the Community Court of Justice of Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.
Nigeria’s Justice Friday Nwoke and Justice Jerome Traore of Burkina Faso were elected as Vice-President and Dean of the court, respectively.
This is contained in a statement issued by Sunny Ugoh, ECOWAS spokesman on Sunday in Abuja, which stated that the three judges would serve the court for two years.
The other new judges are Justices Yaya Boiro, Guinea; Micah Wright, Liberia; Hameye Mahalmadane, Mali; and Alioune Sall, Senegal.
The statement said the judges succeed Justices Awa Daboya, Togo; former President, Benfeito Ramos, Cape Verde; Hansine Donli, Nigeria; Anthony Benin, Ghana; Clotilde Medegan, Benin; and Eliam Potey, Cote d’Ivoire.
The seventh judge, Sidibe Soumana, of the Republic of Niger died in 2011.
ECOWAS Chairman and Ghanaian President, John Mahama, who spoke at their inauguration, said the role of the court in the community’s integration process could not be overemphasised.
Mr. Mahama said it was a role that was likely to increase the changing dynamics of the region.
He assured the new judges of the support of regional leaders in their mandate to contribute to the promotion of justice, peace and security in the region.
He also commended the outgoing judges for helping to nurture the court from its humble beginnings in 2001 into an institution that had become the pride of the region.
The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Kadré Ouédraogo, underscored the court’s major role in the protection of human rights.
Mr. Ouédraogo highlighted the court’s role in the interpretation of community texts among its other responsibilities.
(NAN)