Liberian magistrate Charlyne M. Brumskine has been elected president of the ECOWAS Court of Justice for a two-year term, succeeding Cape Verdean judge Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves.
Beninese magistrate Désiré Henri Aihou was elected vice-president, according to a court statement.
The appointments follow the swearing-in of five judges on October 6 at the ECOWAS Commission headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, in the presence of Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, chair of the regional bloc.
The panel also includes Gambian judge Awa Bah, Nigerian magistrate Henrietta Uzoamaka Didigu and Togolese judge Yaouza Ouro-Sama. All five will serve non-renewable four-year terms from 2026 to 2030.
The new leadership will oversee the court’s operations and implement its Justice 2030 strategy, which aims to improve access to justice, institutional efficiency and public trust.
The court interprets ECOWAS law and hears cases within its jurisdiction, including complaints of human rights violations.
