A team from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has held meetings with key legal stakeholders in The Gambia as part of its ongoing assessment of the country’s electoral needs.
The ECOWAS Needs Assessment Team met with officials from the Gambian Bar Association (GBA) in Banjul on Wednesday, April 16th, 2025. The General Secretary of the GBA, Mr. Abdoulie Fatly, and the immediate past President of the GBA, Mr. Salieu Taal, received the team at the association’s office.
The following day, Thursday, April 17th, the ECOWAS team held discussions with officials at The Gambia’s Ministry of Justice. The Solicitor General and Legal Secretary, Mr. Hussein Thomas, along with other ministry staff members, welcomed the delegation.
The consultations are part of a broader effort by the ECOWAS team to engage with critical stakeholders in The Gambia. The aim is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the country’s electoral processes and identify any areas where support or assistance may be required.
The team includes representatives from various electoral bodies and organisations within the ECOWAS region, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Nigeria, the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (which currently holds the presidency of the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions – ECONEC), the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), and the Electoral Assistance Division (EAD) of ECOWAS.
The discussions with the Gambian Bar Association and the Ministry of Justice are likely to have focused on the legal framework underpinning the electoral process, potential legal challenges, and the role of legal professionals in ensuring free and fair elections.
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