WACSOF inaugurates new board of Directors

The West African Civil Society Forum (WACSOF) has elected a new board of directors made up of women and men with proven expertise, solid contacts, and high moral and intellectual probity.

WACSOF is the apex civil society network in West Africa, covering 18 thematic areas, with representation in 15 West African countries.

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The general assembly was held in an Hybride mode with participants from countries covered by WACSOF on Thursday, June 30th.

The newly elected board members are Mrs Bernice Banybah, Épse Noudegbessi: Dr in Human Rights/Legal Studies, UNESCO / UAC Chair; Expert in Gender, Gender-Based Violence and Human Rights (BENIN); Ms Penda Mbow; Experienced Woman, Activist, Former Minister. Professor at the CHEIKH ANTA DIOP University of Dakar and president of the citizen movement, (Senegal); Mr Kangni Afanou, Jurist, and journalist. He is “CCPR (Centre For Civil And Political Rights) coordinator for West and Central Africa, (Togo).

Other board members include Mr Buba Khan, Senior Consultant. Former Continental Advocacy Coordinator for Actionaid International, (Gambia); Mr Huco Joao Jose Silva Monteiro, Former ECOWAS Commissioner, Human Resources; (Guinea-Bissau); Mr Jeddlee Stephens Kinnii, National Coordinator Of Liberian African Youth Peer Review Committee, (Liberia) and Ms Josephine Alabi, Activist, Peace and Security, Kin Care (Nigeria).

In his welcome speech, the General Secretary of WACSOF, Mr Komlan Messie, commended the participants’ commitment to the cause of WACSOF and specified the context in which this People’s Forum is organised.

Meanwhile, in her introductory remarks, the representative of the ECOWAS National Office in Benin, Mrs Arlette Ahamide, stressed the need for civil society to regularly organise its statutory meetings for the vitality and the legitimacy of this sub-regional general assembly, then gave her full support for its smooth running.

The 15 ECOWAS countries constitute the People’s Forum of WACSOF.

At the general assembly, the WACSOF charter of 2003 in Accra was amended, article by article and adopted by the participants according to the recommendations of the 6th general assembly of WACSOF in 2016.