AFRICAN COURT BACKS CIVIL SOCIETY ROLE IN ADVANCING HUMAN RIGHTS

The President of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) Justice Modibo Sacko has commended the independent Arusha-based NGO, the African Court Coalition, for its vital and indispensable role in promoting and protecting human rights across the continent.
Speaking during a meeting with the Coalition for an Effective African Court (African Court Coalition) in Arusha, last week, Justice Sacko said the organisation has been instrumental in enhancing the court’s visibility and tackling key challenges.
He reaffirmed the court’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with the Coalition, describing it as a model of institutional synergy built on open dialogue to advance justice in Africa. “I want to acknowledge the important role the Coalition is playing in promoting and protecting human rights on our continent,” Justice Sacko said.
Coalition Co-ordinator, Ms Ebby Sophia, presented ongoing projects, including initiatives to encourage African Union (AU) member states to implement the court’s decisions.
It is reliably learned that only 12 per cent of the court’s decisions have been fully or partly implemented, nearly two decades since the Pan-African organ was created by the AU.
The Coalition – comprising African civil society organisations, independent human rights institutions and individual members – also implores AU member states that have not yet ratified the Protocol establishing the African Court to do so and to make the Article 34(6) Declaration that allows NGOs and individuals to access the court directly.
To date, 34 out of 55 AU member states have ratified the Protocol. Of these, only seven have allowed NGOs and individuals to access the Court—Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Mali and Niger. Four states – Rwanda (2017), Tanzania, the host country (2019), Benin and Côte d’Ivoire (2020) and most recently Tunisia (2025) – have withdrawn their declarations.
Both sides also dwelt on strategies to strengthen an independent and effective regional justice system.
This was Justice Sacko’s first visit to the Coalition since assuming leadership of the African Court in June, this year, further cementing cooperation between the two Arusha-based institutions.