ECOWAS Court dismisses Ivorian’s suit seeking compensation from West African leaders

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court on Friday dismissed a suit filed by an Ivorian citizen, Zadi Philipe, seeking damages for losses suffered from sanctions imposed on Mali by the sub-regional bloc in 2022.

Philipe had in the suit alleged that the sanctions imposed on Mali by ECOWAS at its 4th Extra-Ordinary Session on 9th January 2022 caused him financial losses.

He stressed that the action of West African leaders prevented him from returning to his country’s capital, Abidjan, as he had scheduled, culminating in the financial losses.

Philipe, therefore, urged the court to grant an order compelling ECOWAS and its leaders to pay him the claims for the damages he suffered from that decision.

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He later sought a judgment by default from the court, pursuant to Article 90 of the Rules of the Court, when the respondents did not enter an appearance or defend the claim.

Delivering judgment, Justice Sengu Koroma, the Judge Rapporteur, dismissed all the applicant’s claims because the suit was not well-founded.

He said the sanctions “were taken within the framework of Article 77(3) of the Revised ECOWAS Treaty.”

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