Gabon and Togo constitutional courts strengthen judicial partnership

The constitutional courts of Gabon and Togo are deepening their ties through a new cooperation framework focused on pooling resources and exchanging expertise. Dieudonné Aba’a Owono, president of the Gabonese Constitutional Court, and Professor Djobo-Babakane Coulibaley, president of the Togolese Constitutional Court, laid the groundwork for this partnership during a meeting at the Palais de la Constitution in Libreville. The Togolese delegation arrived the previous day for a working and friendship visit.

This rapprochement builds on the strong relationship between Gabon’s transitional president, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, and Togo’s president, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé. Both leaders share converging views on several regional and international issues.

According to the two court presidents, closer cooperation is essential given current and future challenges. Constitutional justice must respond to the demands of an intergenerational society and safeguard the dignity, rights, and freedoms of generations to come.

“Dialogue between our courts is not only useful for our institutions—it is useful for Africa. It is no longer a simple exercise of constitutional courtesy; it has become a necessity for strengthening the rule of law on our continent,” said Dieudonné Aba’a Owono. He expressed hope that this visit marks the beginning of a long series, allowing constitutional judges from both countries to work together, share reflections, jurisprudences, and questions.

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Professor Djobo-Babakane Coulibaley also reaffirmed the relevance of the initiative. “In this period of warlike storms where the prestige of the rule of law is receding, in many parts of the world, dialogue between our jurisdictions gives us the opportunity to affirm our community of values expressed through the principle of the rule of law,” he stressed. The Togolese delegation’s visit concludes on Wednesday.