ECOWAS Court rules against ECOWAS Commission for wrongful dismissal of Dr. Mèdessi Yves Armand Mongbo from WAHO

In a judgment issued on May 15, 2026, the court recognized the regularity of his recruitment, declared his dismissal wrongful, and ordered the ECOWAS Commission to pay him damages. Dr. Mongbo was initially ranked first after tests and interviews for the Director General position and was appointed by a decision of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers on July 19, 2022. However, on August 1, 2022, the same Council amended its previous decision, removing him from his post at the request of the State of Benin due to internal political reasons.

Dr. Melchior Athanase Joël C. Aïssi, who had placed second in the recruitment process, was then appointed. After exhausting internal remedies, Dr. Mongbo filed a claim for compensation against the ECOWAS Commission on April 25, 2025. The court rejected the defense's objection regarding the eligibility of barrister Mamadou Traoré to plead, citing the UEMOA treaty which allows lawyers authorized in one member state to plead before the ECOWAS Court of Justice.

The court found Dr. Mongbo's recruitment to be regular and his dismissal wrongful. Consequently, the ECOWAS Commission was ordered to pay Dr. Mongbo 25 million CFA francs for material damages and 10 million CFA francs for moral damages. The court did not order the liquidation of his severance pay and gave the ECOWAS C