Fatoumatta Jahumpa Ceesay (born 25 October 1957) is a Gambian politician, diplomat, and journalist she is also the daughter of Garba Jahumpa, the first indigenous mayor of Banjul. In January 2007, she was nominated to join the National Assembly of the Gambia. The following month, she was nominated to the ECOWAS Parliament, where she assumed the role of Coordinator for the Economic Community Female Parliamentarians Association (ECOFEPA) and became the first woman appointed as the 4th Deputy Speaker. Later in 2007, President Jammeh appointed her Speaker of the National Assembly, a position she held until 2009.
Jahumpa Ceesay founding member of the APRC since its inception in 1996. She was appointed as the party's General Secretary in May 2022, becoming the first woman to hold this position.
Jahumpa Ceesay is the founder of the Family Rights Advancement and Protection (FRAI) organization. An organization that focus on the rights and welfare of families. In April 2021, she donated a drilling machine worth D125,000 to the women of Farato Bojang Kunda to assist in their domestic work. She currently serves as the Gambia's Ambassador to South Africa and is the General Secretary of the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC).
Dr Gumedze joins the Centre with an exceptional record of leadership in research management, policy development, institutional governance, and international human rights advocacy. His appointment marks an important moment in strengthening the Centre’s strategic direction and expanding its impact across Africa and globally.
He holds a Doctor of Social Sciences (International Law) and a Licentiate in Social Sciences (International Law) from Åbo Akademi University, Finland, as well as an LL.M. in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa from the University of Pretoria.
Dr Gumedze previously served as Executive Head of the Africa Institute of South Africa at the Human Sciences Research Council, where he led strategic research programmes focused on governance and development on the continent. He also held the position of Head of Research and Development at the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority, contributing to policy innovation and regulatory reform within the private security sector.
Earlier in his career, he was a Senior Researcher at the Institute for Security Studies and has held academic appointments at several South African universities. His professional journey reflects a strong commitment to rigorous scholarship, institutional excellence, and public service.
An internationally recognised expert in international law, human rights, and security governance, Dr Gumedze has published extensively on the African human rights system, private security regulation, peace and security, and the responsibility to protect.
He has also served as Chair and Vice-Chair of the United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, contributing to global efforts to advance racial justice and the rights of people of African descent.
As Assistant Director (Operations), Dr Gumedze supports the Centre’s strategic leadership, project development, partnership building, and teaching. His experience and vision strengthens the Centre’s mission to promote human rights through research, education, and advocacy in Africa and beyond.
Lassané Ouedraogo | Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
LLB in Public Law (Université Nazi Boni, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso); LLM in International Public Law (Université Thomas SANKARA, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso)
Lassané Ouedraogo is the Acting Coordinator of the LLM in International Trade and Investment Law in Africa (TILA) at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria. He is also pursuing an LLD at the university’s Faculty of Law, under the NRF SARChI Chair for International Constitutional Law. Lassané holds an LLB from the Université Nazi Boni and an LLM in International Public Law from the Université Thomas Sankara, both in Burkina Faso. He also earned an LLM in International Trade and Investment Law in Africa from the University of Pretoria. His academic and professional interests include International Public Law, International Environmental Law, Trade and Investment, and Business and Human Rights. Professors Magnus Kilander and Sâ Benjamin Traoré supervise his doctoral research. It focuses on examining the climate change responsibilities of transnational corporations.
Tel: +27 (0)12 420 5296
lassane.ouedraogo@up.ac.za
Palesa Mogosetso | Junior Project Officer, Children’s Rights Unit
BA LAW(UP), LLB (UP)
Palesa Mogosetso is a dedicated legal professional with a passion for human rights, particularly the rights of women and children. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Law and Criminology (BA Law) and an LLB degree from the University of Pretoria. She is currently pursuing a Master of Laws (LLM) in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Africa at the Centre for Human Rights.
Palesa serves as a Junior Project Officer within the Centre’s Children’s Rights Unit, where she contributes to advancing the rights and welfare of children across the continent. Her academic background and practical experience have shaped her commitment to using the law as a tool for social justice, focusing on issues such as child protection, gender equality, and access to sexual and reproductive health rights.
