Gambiaj.com – (ABUJA, Nigeria) – The Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has ruled in favor of former Senegalese government minister Lat Diop, declaring that the Republic of Senegal violated his fundamental right to freedom of movement.

In a judgment delivered on May 9, 2025, the Court found that Senegal acted unlawfully when it prevented Mr. Diop from boarding an international flight in August 2024 without any legal justification.

The Court ordered the Senegalese government to pay 6 million CFA Francs in compensation and to immediately lift all restrictions on the former minister’s travel.

Case Background

The case stems from an incident on August 28, 2024, when Mr. Diop was barred by police from boarding a flight despite having completed all airport formalities and obtaining a boarding pass. He alleged that the travel restriction was politically motivated and linked it to public remarks made by the Senegalese Prime Minister, which were widely reported in the media.

Diop, a Senegalese national and former cabinet member, brought the matter before the ECOWAS Court, asserting that the travel ban was imposed without due process.

He relied on several regional and international legal provisions, including Article 12 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to argue that his rights had been violated.

He supported his claims with evidence, including his ECOWAS card, stamped passport, boarding pass, and relevant press clippings.

In his application, Diop requested a declaration of rights violation, the removal of the travel restrictions, and compensation amounting to 500 million CFA Francs.

Senegal’s Defense

The Senegalese government denied the allegations, describing them as speculative and lacking legal merit.

The State maintained that no formal restriction had been placed on Diop’s freedom of movement and pointed out that he continued to possess a diplomatic passport after leaving office.

It further claimed that Diop had been placed under criminal investigation for alleged embezzlement and money laundering as of September 26, 2024.

Court’s Findings and Ruling

After reviewing the evidence and legal arguments, the ECOWAS Court concluded that Senegal had violated Diop’s rights as enshrined in Article 12(2) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. It found the travel restriction imposed on August 28, 2024, to be arbitrary, lacking both legal basis and due process.

The Court declared that it had jurisdiction over the matter and deemed the application admissible. It ordered the Republic of Senegal to pay compensation of 6 million CFA Francs to Mr. Diop, and lift all restrictions on his freedom of movement.

The case was adjudicated by a panel consisting of Hon. Justice Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves (Presiding and Judge Rapporteur), Hon. Justice Gberi-Bè Ouattara (Member) and Hon. Justice Edward Amoako Asante (Member)

This ruling reinforces the ECOWAS Court’s role as a guardian of human rights in the region and sends a strong message against the arbitrary curtailment of civil liberties by member states.