Panafrican News Agency

Guinea Bissau signs treaty to join African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (PANA) - Guinea Bissau has ratified the Protocol establishing the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and simultaneously deposited a Declaration allowing individuals and Non-Governmental Organisations to file cases at the Court directly.

The Court said on Friday that Guinea Bissau’s Ratification and Declaration was officially handed over on 3 November 2021, by Alamara Quessangue, Guinean representative to the Office of the Legal Counsel of the African Union Commission, Tsion Bhergano.

The event took place during a conference on the Implementation and Impact of Decisions of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

"Guinea Bissau’s move brings to eight the number of countries which have made the Declaration," the Court said in a statement.

Niger had earlier deposited its Declaration at the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 28 October 2021. The other States that have Declarations that are in effect are: Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Ghana, Malawi, Mali and Tunisia.

Guinea Bissau’s delegation received accolades when handing over the Declaration to the representative of the Office of the Legal Counsel and the President of the Court, Lady-Justice Imani Aboud, at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Lady-Justice Aboud lauded Guinea Bissau and Niger, stating that they will go a long way in enhancing confidence in the Court and ultimately the protection of human and peoples’ rights on the continent.

Prior to the commencement of the Conference, Lady-Justice Aboud led a sensitisation visit to Niger from 21-23 October 2021 during which President Mohamed Bazoum reiterated his country’s strong commitment to the protection of human rights and to the mandate of the African Court as the only continental judicial body of the African Union.

The Court, that is celebrating 15 years since it became operational, was established by virtue of 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 was adopted on 9 June 1998 in Burkina Faso and entered into force on 25 January 2004. The Court officially started its operations in November 2006 following the election of the first Judges in January 2006.

 -0- PANA AO/AR 5Nov2021