President John Dramani Mahama has called on African Union member states to strengthen and fully empower the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights to safeguard the rights and dignity of citizens across the continent.
Speaking at the official opening of the Court’s 2026 Judicial Year and the launch of its 20th anniversary in Arusha, Tanzania, President Mahama urged countries that have not yet ratified the Court’s Protocol to do so without delay.
He also appealed to member states to respect and implement the Court’s judgments in good faith and allow individuals and non-governmental organisations direct access to the Court.
The President described the Court as a vital institution that must serve all Africans while remaining independent and free from political influence.
“We need an institution that serves all but is beholden to none,” he stated, adding that empowering the Court would ensure that Africa remains observant and respectful of the rights and duties enshrined in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
President Mahama reflected on his personal connection to issues of justice and due process, recounting how his father, a former minister in Ghana’s first republic under Kwame Nkrumah, was detained following the 1966 coup.
He said those childhood experiences shaped his lifelong commitment to human rights, the rule of law, and accountable governance.
Although he now stands as Head of State, President Mahama said he still remembers the fear and uncertainty his family endured during periods of political instability.
“The effects of social injustice and human rights violations extend beyond individuals; they impact entire families and communities,” he noted.
Marking 60 years since the overthrow of Ghana’s first president, the President observed that Africa’s history of coups, political repression, and exile underscores the need for strong continental institutions to protect citizens against abuse of power.
He paid tribute to African leaders and freedom fighters who suffered persecution, imprisonment, exile, and assassination in the struggle for liberation and justice, stressing that Africa’s greatest inheritance is not its natural resources but its people.
President Mahama warned that while Africa often compares itself to Western democracies, recent global developments show that judicial independence, civil liberties, and democratic norms cannot be taken for granted anywhere.
He said with Africa’s population projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050 and nearly 40 percent of the world’s population by the end of the century, the continent must prioritise the protection of human rights and the strengthening of judicial systems.
In Ghana, he said, efforts are ongoing to reinforce judicial independence and uphold the rule of law.
President Mahama concluded by declaring the 2026 Judicial Year officially open, expressing confidence that in the next two decades the African Court will emerge as a leading international judicial body and a model for protecting human rights globally.
