By Stella Odueme
President of Senegal and Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, has reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening the rule of law and human rights in West Africa.
Faye made the commitment during an official visit to the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja on Tuesday.
The Senegalese leader was accompanied by the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cheikh Niang, and representatives of the Senegalese Embassy in Nigeria.
He was received by the Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, Anthony Oluwatosin Ogunjimi; President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Justice Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves; and other senior officials of the Commission and the Court.
Addressing staff of the Court, Faye described the institution as the principal judicial organ of ECOWAS, highlighting its role in promoting the rule of law, protecting human rights and contributing to regional stability.
He reaffirmed his support for the Court and its mandate, particularly its efforts to uphold the rights of citizens and strengthen justice across the West African region.
In his remarks, Gonçalves described Faye’s visit as historic, noting that it marked the first time a serving Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government had visited the Court in that capacity.
According to him, the visit underscored the importance attached to the Court within the ECOWAS institutional framework and recognised its role in advancing justice, the rule of law and the protection of citizens’ rights across West Africa.