Justice Modibo Sacko of Mali has been elected president of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR), the court confirmed on Monday via its official X account. His election marks a new phase of leadership for the continental human rights institution.
The decision was made during the court’s 77th Ordinary Session held in Arusha, Tanzania, where the AfCHPR is headquartered. The session brought together the court’s 11 judges, who represent diverse legal traditions from across the continent. Sacko replaces Justice Imani Daud Aboud of Tanzania, who served two consecutive terms as president. During her most recent term, which began in 2023, Sacko served as her vice president.
Justice Sacko will serve a renewable two-year term as president, overseeing the court’s judicial and administrative functions. He brings to the role considerable experience, having previously contributed to the court’s jurisprudence and internal governance.
In a parallel vote during the session, Justice Bensaoula Chafika of Algeria was elected vice president. She will succeed Sacko in the role and assist in steering the court’s work over the next two years.
Established in 2006, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights is an organ of the African Union mandated to protect and promote human and peoples’ rights across the continent. The court adjudicates cases involving member states and regional human rights instruments, contributing to the development of a continental legal framework for rights protection.
Each of the court’s judges is elected to a six-year term, renewable once, by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union. The president and vice president are elected by their fellow judges and serve two-year terms, which can also be renewed once.
The leadership transition comes at a time when the AfCHPR continues to engage with complex human rights challenges across Africa. Under Sacko’s presidency, the court is expected to further strengthen its role in ensuring accountability, enhancing legal clarity on human rights standards, and reinforcing judicial independence within the African human rights system.