Who is Barrister Agbor Nkongho (Barrister Agbor Balla)
Felix Agbor Nkongho is a distinguished Cameroonian human rights lawyer, academic, and internationally recognized legal expert with over two decades of experience in international human rights law, humanitarian law, and international criminal law. He currently serves as President of the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA), where he leads strategic advocacy, litigation, and capacity-building initiatives across the continent.
A dual-qualified barrister admitted to the Nigerian Bar (1996) and the Cameroon Bar (2001), Mr. Nkongho holds advanced legal degrees from the University of Notre Dame, USA (LL.M. in International Human Rights Law, cum laude) and Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Belgium (LL.M. in International and Comparative Law, cum laude). He has also undertaken doctoral research in international law, further deepening his expertise in global legal frameworks.
Mr. Nkongho’s career spans senior legal roles with the United Nations in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sierra Leone, where he provided expert counsel on international law, human rights, and gender mainstreaming. He represented the UN in judicial and administrative proceedings and served as Legal Officer at the Special Court for Sierra Leone. His academic contributions include lecturing at the University of Buea and the Pan African Institute for Development, and he continues to shape legal discourse as Executive Director of CHRDA.
A respected voice in global human rights advocacy, Mr. Nkongho has addressed high-level governmental and multilateral bodies including the Canadian House of Commons, the United States Congress, and the United Kingdom House of Lords on the human rights situation in Cameroon and the Anglophone crisis. He has participated as a panelist and keynote speaker at major international forums such as Chatham House, the African Union, and UNDP conferences. His scholarly and policy-oriented publications address critical issues including self-determination, state obligations under international law, corruption as a human rights violation, and gender discrimination in legal systems.
Mr. Nkongho has held leadership positions in several professional associations, including Vice President for Central Africa of the African Bar Association, President of the Fako Lawyers Association, and President of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium. A multilingual communicator fluent in English, French, and Krio, he is also actively engaged in sports leadership, having managed and presided over multiple football clubs in Cameroon.
His contributions to human rights and legal reform have earned him numerous national and international accolades, including:
- American Bar Association International Human Rights Award (2024) – Recognizing his courageous defense of human rights and commitment to peaceful conflict resolution.
- Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award (2022) – Honoring his leadership in advancing civil liberties during the Anglophone crisis.
- Irwin Cotler Human Rights Defender Award (2020) – Presented by Canada’s High Commission in Yaoundé for his lifelong dedication to justice in Cameroon.
- Central Africa Shield Award (2019) – From African Defenders, for outstanding contributions to regional human rights advocacy.
- Human Rights Champion Award (2019 & 2020) – Awarded by The Guardian Post for sustained activism and public engagement.
- Human Rights Activist of the Year (2018) – From SCOOP Media Group, in recognition of impactful advocacy.
- Nelson Mandela Memorial Award (2018) – Presented by the Nkafu Policy Institute for his unwavering commitment to justice and democracy.
- Human Rights Publication of the Year (2023) – From the Victoria International Media Merit Awards for his work Unheard Voices.
Berinyuy Cajetan is the founder and publisher of Human Rights and Legal Research Centre (HRLRC) since 2017. He has intensive experience in strategic communications for Civil Society Organizations, campaign and advocacy, and social issues. He has an intensive experiencing in human rights monitoring, documentation and reporting.
