The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) will elect its next President on Monday, June 2, 2025, during the opening of its 77th Ordinary Session. This election comes as the Court transitions into a new leadership term, with the current President, Justice Imani Daud Aboud of Tanzania, concluding her four-year tenure.
Justice Aboud, who made history as the first East African woman to head the Court, will step down alongside Vice President Justice Modibo Sacko of Mali, who has completed two consecutive two-year terms. Both officials were first elected to their positions during the Court’s 61st Session in 2021 and re-elected in 2023 in accordance with the Court’s internal rules, which allow a maximum of two terms in leadership roles.
Justice Aboud succeeded Justice Sylvain Oré of Côte d’Ivoire, while Justice Sacko took over from Justice Ben Kioko of Kenya. Their departure opens the door for fresh leadership, with the election conducted by secret ballot among the 11 current judges of the Court.
Those eligible to vote and be elected include Justices Imani Daud Aboud (Tanzania), Modibo Sacko (Mali), Blaise Tchikaya (Congo-Brazzaville), Rafaâ Ben Achour (Tunisia), Tujilane Rose Chizumila (Malawi), Dumisa Ntsebeza (South Africa), Stella Isibhakhomen Anukam (Nigeria), Angela Mudukuti (Zimbabwe), Naceesay Salla-Wadda (The Gambia), Koffi Afande (Togo), and Aboudou Assouma (Benin).
The newly elected President will preside over the delivery of key rulings on seven major cases discussed during the Court’s 76th and 77th sessions. This includes overseeing follow-up actions on significant judgments, such as the landmark ruling in favor of the Ogiek community in Kenya and a case involving the protection of persons with albinism in Tanzania.
The leadership transition marks a crucial moment for Africa’s top human rights tribunal, with the incoming President expected to shape the Court’s direction on the continent’s most pressing human rights issues.
