Senegalese Commissioner Idrissa Sow has been elected as the new Chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. His election took place in Banjul, The Gambia, during the opening of the Commission’s 85th Ordinary Session on Tuesday.

Sow succeeds Remy Ngoy Lumbu of the Republic of Congo and is expected to lead the Commission in advancing human rights protection across the continent.

A member of the Commission since 2021, Sow also chairs the Working Group on the Death Penalty and serves on committees addressing enforced disappearances, disability rights, and communications.