ECOWAS COURT ORDERS SENEGAL TO LIFT TRAVEL BAN ON EX-MINISTER LAT DIOP, AWARDS COMPENSATION
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The ECOWAS Court of Justice has ruled in favor of former Senegalese minister Lat Diop, declaring that the Republic of Senegal violated his right to freedom of movement and ordering the immediate lifting of all travel restrictions placed on him.
In a judgment delivered in Lagos, the regional court found that the travel ban imposed on Mr. Diop was arbitrary and lacked legal justification. The case stemmed from an incident on August 28, 2024, when Diop was prevented from boarding an international flight despite having cleared all formalities and holding a valid boarding pass. The former minister told the court that the decision to bar him from traveling was politically motivated, citing public remarks made by the Prime Minister prior to the incident.
Mr. Diop presented evidence including his ECOWAS identity card, stamped passport, boarding pass, and media reports, arguing that the travel restriction violated regional and international human rights instruments, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Senegal denied the allegations, insisting that no formal travel ban was in place and pointing out that Diop had retained his diplomatic passport. The state further claimed that the former minister was under investigation for alleged financial crimes, including embezzlement and money laundering, which justified the restriction.
However, the court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel, rejected Senegal’s defense and upheld Diop’s claims. Presiding Judge Ricardo Claudio Monteiro Gonçalves, alongside Justices Gberi Bé Ouattara and Edward Amoako Asante, held that Senegal’s actions breached Article 12(2) of the African Charter and ordered the state to pay Diop six million CFA Francs in compensation.
The ruling reinforces the authority of the ECOWAS Court in safeguarding human rights across the West African subregion and sends a strong message against politically motivated restrictions on freedom of movement.
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