The African Court on Human and People’s Rights has chosen two new judges to join the bench (AfCHPR).
Their election took place during the weekend of the Summit of Heads of State of the African Union (AU).
The continental leaders’ virtual summit saw the re-election of Lady Justice Imani Daud Aboud from Tanzania to the bench.
She will serve her second and final six-year term alongside Justice Rafaa Ben Achour of Tunisia, who has also been re-elected.
The newly-elected are South African Justice Dumisa Buhle Ntsebeza and Malian Justice Sacko Modibo.
The latter will succeed Cote d’Ivoire’s Justice Sylvain Ore, who is the new President of the Court, and Mozambique’s Justice Angelo Vasco Matusse.
A statement released by the Arusha-based Court announced that in June this year, during its 61st regular session, the new and re-elected judges would be sworn in.
The AfCHPR, the judicial body of the AU, consists of eleven judges who are citizens of the Member States of the AU. In their individual capacity, they are elected. The Court meets in ordinary sessions four times a year and can hold extra-ordinary sessions when the need arises.
The re-election of the serving judges and those elected at the weekend were ample measures of their capacity to represent the bench, Justice Ore said.
“The Court is fully convinced of their deep commitment to human rights and to further strengthen protection of human rights in Africa,” he said.
Educator, writer and legal researcher at Alafarika for Studies and Consultancy.