Former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and Gambian High Commissioner to the UK, Her Excellency Dr. Fatou Bom Bensouda, will be honoured as one of Africa’s most influential women for her enduring legacy of justice, leadership, and service.

The Board of the Voice Achievers Awards is proud to announce that one of Africa’s most illustrious daughters, Her Excellency Dr. Fatou Bom Bensouda, former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and current High Commissioner of The Gambia to the United Kingdom, will be conferred with the prestigious African Lifetime Achievers Award 2026.

Her Excellency Dr. Fatou Bom Bensouda

The historic investiture will take place on Friday, 21st August 2026, at the iconic Hilton London Kensington, at the grand gala and awards night of the Voice Achievers Awards – a pan-African platform dedicated to celebrating excellence, innovation, and transformative leadership across Africa and the diaspora.

This honour marks a homecoming of immense significance. Dr. Bensouda is not a stranger to the Voice Achievers family. She is among the top-tier of Africa’s most influential women previously honoured by the organisation for her unparalleled courage in upholding international justice. Her return to the podium in 2026 for a Lifetime Achievement honour elevates her into the highest echelon of the Awards’ Hall of Fame – an elite league reserved for leaders whose work has transcended borders and generations.

Her Excellency Dr. Fatou Bom Bensouda & Mr Henry Oduenyi of The Voice News Magazine in 2009

The story of Dr. Fatou Bensouda and this Pan-African publication is a story of shared vision, mutual respect, and enduring mentorship that spans nearly two decades.

The project began in early 2009 when Henry Oduenyi, then Chief Executive of The Voice News Magazine , led a small editorial team to her office in The Hague to amplify authentic African perspectives within international law. This initiative aimed to spotlight critical perspectives on governance and justice directly from a pivotal global hub.

At the time, Dr. Fatou Bensouda served as Deputy Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, holding a position under intense global scrutiny. Despite the pressure of her office, Dr. Bensouda graciously accepted the request for an in-depth interview, offering candid and intellectual insights on Africa, justice, and the rule of law.

That single act of generosity opened a door. The interview became a cover story that inspired thousands across the continent. More importantly, it birthed a relationship that has endured. Since that day in 2010, Dr. Bensouda has remained a very strong mentor, advisor, and moral compass to this noble project. She has watched it grow from a magazine into a global awards institution, offering counsel, encouragement, and unwavering belief in its mission to project Africa’s positive narrative.

Conferring the African Lifetime Achievers Award on her is therefore not merely an honour we bestow; it is a tribute of gratitude from a project she helped nurture.

Dr. Fatou Bensouda’s journey is a defining example of lifetime achievement, characterized by immense courage in prosecuting power. Her monumental career, often challenging to summarize due to its scope, stands as a testament to her dedication to international justice.

Her Excellency Dr. Fatou Bom Bensouda

Born on 31st January 1961 in Banjul, The Gambia, Fatou Bensouda’s path to global prominence began with academic distinction. She obtained her LLB from the University of Ife, Nigeria, was called to the Nigerian Bar, and later earned her LLM in International Maritime Law from the International Maritime Law Institute in Malta, making her The Gambia’s first expert in the field. She would later receive multiple honorary doctorates from universities around the world, including from her alma mater.

Her career in her home country was groundbreaking. She rose to become The Gambia’s first female Attorney General and Minister of Justice, demonstrating early on a fearless commitment to legal reform and human rights.In 2002, her expertise was called to the international stage when she joined the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda [ICTR] in Arusha, Tanzania, serving as Senior Legal Adviser and Head of The Legal Advisory Unit. Her brilliance in international criminal law did not go unnoticed.

In 2004, she was elected Deputy Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court by the Assembly of States Parties, with an overwhelming majority – a testament to the global trust in her integrity. For eight years, she served alongside the first Prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, handling complex preliminary examinations and prosecutions across continents.

Her Excellency Dr. Fatou Bom Bensouda

Then, history was made. On 12th December 2011, she was elected by consensus as the Chief Prosecutor of the ICC, becoming the first woman and the first African to lead the world’s most powerful independent prosecutorial body. From June 2012 to June 2021, she led the Office of the Prosecutor with what the world came to know as the “Bensouda Doctrine”: principled independence, professional diligence, and quiet but unshakeable resolve.

Under her leadership, the Office expanded its focus to crimes against humanity, war crimes, genocide, and crimes of aggression in situations ranging from Darfur, Libya, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, to Myanmar/Bangladesh and Palestine. She faced unprecedented political pressures, including sanctions, yet never wavered in her oath to the Rome Statute. For her defence of justice, she was named by TIME Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World and by Jeune Afrique as one of the Most Influential Africans.

Her Excellency Dr. Fatou Bom Bensouda

Upon completing her nine-year term at the ICC with immense international respect, she was appointed in August 2022 as the High Commissioner of the Republic of The Gambia to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, where she continues to serve as a distinguished diplomat, bridging The Gambia and the Commonwealth with elegance and statecraft.

A devoted wife, mother, and a Muslim woman of deep faith, she has masterfully balanced the demands of global leadership with family values – making her an ultimate role model for African girls.

The African Lifetime Achievers Award recognizes an enduring legacy built over an entire career rather than a single accomplishment. Dr. Fatou Bensouda embodies this distinction, representing the pinnacle of African leadership through an incorruptible, intellectual, and globally impactful approach . For more details, visit the International Criminal Court.

Her Excellency Dr. Fatou Bom Bensouda

As Africa grapples with questions of accountability, governance, gender equity, and its place in the international legal order, Dr. Bensouda’s life provides the answers. She proves that an African woman, from a small nation, can hold the most powerful accountable assignment and do so with integrity.

Her presence at the Hilton London Kensington on 21 August 2026 will crown the event as she joins an elite circle of influential African women previously honoured by this organization, a roster that includes renowned Kenyan activist and businesswoman Mama Ida Odinga, the 2016 African Woman of the Year and First Lady of Equatorial Guinea H.E. Constancia Mangue, and Nigeria’s current Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, alongside other titans of industry and state.

We invite diplomats, legal luminaries, members of the Gambian diaspora, and all friends of Africa to stand in ovation as we honour a mentor, a pioneer, and a true African icon.

Her Excellency Dr. Fatou Bom Bensouda – African Lifetime Achievers Award 2026. Justice. Integrity. Legacy.

https://thevoiceachieversaward.com/