By Abbas Nazil
Environmental Rights Africa (ERA), a Pan-African coalition of over 55 civil society organisations, has officially endorsed its newly elected Steering Committee leadership, marking a significant step in advancing a continent-wide environmental rights framework and safeguarding defenders at the front lines of ecological struggles.
The endorsement was finalised during ERA’s General Membership Meeting on August 26, 2025, following the inaugural Steering Committee session on August 21.
Ahmad Abdallah of the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms emerged as Chairperson, while Saran Touré of Guinea’s Plaidoyer Recherche et Renforcement de Capacités des ONG was named Co-Chairperson.
Their election reflects the coalition’s effort to balance gender, youth, and linguistic diversity in leadership.
ERA’s Steering Committee mirrors the organisation’s regional and thematic spread across Africa. Regional focal points include Saran Touré for West Africa, Walda Keza Shaka for East Africa, Olivier Ndoole for Central Africa, Thuli Makama for Southern Africa, and Abdallah for North Africa.
Key working groups will be led by Paul Mulindwa of CIVICUS for Outreach and Advocacy, Emily Kinama of Kenya’s Katiba Institute for Case Studies, Lucien Limacher of Natural Justice in South Africa for Defenders Emergency Response, and Fiona Iliff of the ABA in Zimbabwe for Technical Drafting.
Wanjira Mathai, Managing Director of Africa and Global Partnerships at WRI, will guide broader partnerships, while Philip Jakpor of Nigeria’s Renevlyn Development Initiative will direct communications.
Francis Colee of Green Advocates in Liberia will serve as Secretary, with Alfred Brownell, a US- and Liberia-based activist, leading campaigns.
In his acceptance remarks, Chairman Abdallah emphasized that ERA’s mission must be deeply rooted in the realities faced by African communities.
He highlighted that the coalition’s work represents the farmers devastated by drought, coastal communities threatened by rising seas, and indigenous groups fighting to defend their sacred lands.
Abdullahi also underlined the dangers faced by environmental defenders, many of whom confront violence, intimidation, and even death for challenging powerful interests.
He pledged to ensure these voices remain central to Africa’s environmental and climate agenda, declaring ERA’s vision to push for a binding African agreement that empowers defenders and secures the right to a healthy environment.
International observers Joseph Burke and Elizabeth Moses of ALLIED will support the Steering Committee by ensuring transparency and global collaboration.
The committee has been tasked with providing strategic direction, overseeing ERA’s five-year plan, mobilising resources, and reinforcing good governance standards.
The formation of the new leadership marks a turning point for ERA’s long-standing vision of uniting Africa around a shared environmental justice agenda.
The coalition plans to advocate strongly for a continent-wide legally binding agreement recognising environmental rights, a move that could reshape how governments across Africa address climate challenges and protect vulnerable communities.
For ERA, the announcement signals a new era in which environmental rights are no longer aspirational goals but enforceable commitments.
The coalition aims to strengthen the collective power of African civil society to protect the environment, defend human rights, and secure justice for communities most impacted by ecological crises.
With its renewed leadership, ERA is positioning itself as a key force in Africa’s environmental future, determined to turn principles of justice into lived realities for millions across the continent.
