A member of the Court since 2021, Lodonou was initially appointed to complete the term of his predecessor before being elected to lead the regional institution.

Togolese magistrate Kuami Gameli Lodonou has been elected president of the Court of Justice of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), following an internal vote held on Feb. 3, 2026.

He was sworn in on Feb. 11 in Ouagadougou for a three-year term. He succeeds Senegalese magistrate Mahawa Sémou Diouf, whose term ended after three years at the head of the court.

Born in 1958, Lodonou has served as a judge at the WAEMU Court since February 2021, under a supplementary act adopted by the Conference of Heads of State and Government. He previously held the position of advocate general at the court. Before joining the regional institution, he was executive secretary of Togo’s National OHADA Commission.

A graduate of the National School for the Judiciary in Paris, he holds a master’s degree in business law from the University of Lomé. He has also held senior positions within Togo’s judicial system, including at the Supreme Court.

The WAEMU Court of Justice, established under the Union’s amended treaty, ensures the interpretation and uniform application of community law across the bloc’s eight member states. It adjudicates disputes between member states and between the Union and its officials.

As president, Lodonou will oversee the court’s work in ensuring compliance with WAEMU law, particularly in cases involving member states’ failure to meet their treaty obligations. He takes office at a time when regional economic integration faces political and economic pressures, with the bloc’s legal framework remaining central to its cohesion.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi