Lady Justice Imani Daud Aboud from Tanzania has been re-elected to serve as President of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights for the second and final term of two years.
Lady Justice Iman was re-elected during the official opening of the Pan-African Judicial Organ’s 69th Ordinary Session in Arusha.
On the other hand, Justice Sacko Modibo from Mali was elected Vice President of the Court, which operates from Arusha City, Northern Tanzania.
Expressing her gratitude, Justice Imani thanked her colleagues for the unanimous re-election and the confidence they have shown in her leadership.
“I am overwhelmed by the confidence my colleagues have placed in me, and I am sincerely grateful to them,” she said.
The Africa Court is set to deliver nine decisions in the course of this week with proceedings being streamed live.
During the Session, the Judges will convene a three-day Retreat 14-16 June in Dodoma, Tanzania’s new capital, to enhance the Court’s effectiveness and improve the protection of human rights across the continent.
“The Retreat will facilitate better coordination and the development of improved working methods,” added Justice Aboud.
Lady Justice Imani Daud Aboud is a Tanzanian who holds Master of Laws (Malta) and Bachelor of Laws (University of Dar es Salaam).
She was elected as Judge of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in July 2018.
She was re-elected for a second and final term of six years at the 34th African Union Heads of State and Government ordinary summit in February 2021.
Justice Sacko Modibo is a citizen of the Republic of Mali.
He was elected judge of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in February 2021, for a six-year term.
He holds a master’s degree in law from the Faculty of Legal and Political Sciences (Mali) and four other university degrees in law obtained at the Ahmed Baba University (Mali), the Jean Moulin 3 University (France) and the Nice Sophia Antipolis University (France).
Justice Modibo was recently also appointed Judge of the Supreme Court of Mali.
The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights is a continental court established by African countries to ensure the protection of human and peoples’ rights in Africa.
It complements and reinforces the functions of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The Court was established by pursuant to Article 1 of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Establishment of an African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, (the Protocol) which was adopted by Member States of the then Organization of African Unity (OAU) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in June 1998.
The Protocol came into force on 25 January 2004. The Court officially started its operations in July 2006 in Addis Ababa and a year later moved to its permanent seat in Arusha, Tanzania.
The Court is composed of 11 Judges, nationals of Member States of the African Union elected in their individual capacity.