ECOWAS Court Begins Outreach Mission in The Gambia to Boost Regional Justice Awareness

By Makutu Manneh

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Community Court of Justice on Wednesday began a three-day outreach mission in The Gambia, part of a broader effort to raise public awareness of its mandate and strengthen engagement with national legal and governmental institutions.

The initiative is intended to deepen understanding of the court’s jurisdiction and procedures while improving its visibility and accessibility among Gambian stakeholders, including government officials, members of the judiciary, legal practitioners, civil society groups, and the general public.

Opening the mission, Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves, President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, described the institution as a central pillar of the regional bloc’s integration agenda, serving as its judicial arm in interpreting Community law and safeguarding citizens’ rights.

He said the court’s human rights jurisdiction has, over time, become a key instrument of accountability in West Africa and a source of recourse for individuals alleging rights violations.

“The ECOWAS Court of Justice is the tangible expression of our region’s collective aspiration for justice, peace, and respect for human dignity,” he said. “It is a court of integration, not intrusion; a court of cooperation, not competition.”

Gambia’s Chief Justice, Hassan B. Jallow, welcomed the sensitization mission, stressing the importance of strengthening awareness of the court across member states to sustain its relevance as a regional judicial institution.

He noted that the ECOWAS Court allows individuals and civil society organizations to bring cases directly, without requiring prior endorsement from their governments.

“Sensitization initiatives such as this one are very essential and welcome,” he said. “In light of growing trends of some states withdrawing direct individual and civil society access to their African Court, the role of our own regional court is becoming increasingly significant.”

Mod K. Ceesay, Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration, and Employment, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the ECOWAS integration project, saying it extends beyond economic cooperation to include legal harmonization and the protection of fundamental rights.

He described the court as a key institution in advancing regional cohesion and the rule of law across member states.

Yaouza Ouro-Sama, the chief registrar of the court, urged West African communities to take greater pride in the institution’s work, pointing to its growing international recognition. He also called for closer cooperation between national judiciaries and the regional court to strengthen a more unified legal framework within ECOWAS.

Established in 1991 and headquartered in Abuja, Nigeria, the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice is mandated to ensure the interpretation and application of the ECOWAS Revised Treaty. Its jurisdiction includes disputes arising from Community obligations, actions of ECOWAS institutions, and cases involving alleged human rights violations across West Africa.