The Senegalese President, Bassirou Faye has been elected the new Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of States and Government, In Sierra Leone.
President Faye was elected the new Chairman at the ECOWAS 69th Ordinary Summit of the Authority of Heads of State and Government.
He took over the Chairmanship from the Sierra Leonean President, Julius Maada Bio with a strong pledge to steer the ECOWAS region through a period marked by political transition, security challenges and economic integration.
The Authority of Heads of State and Government also appointed General Birame Diop, Senegal’s former Minister of Defense, former Chief of the General Staff of the Senegalese Armed Forces and former Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General, as the new President of the ECOWAS Commission.
General Diop will assume office in September 2026, succeeding the current Commission President, Dr Omar Alieu Touray.
The two appointments underscore Senegal’s growing influence within West Africa’s premier regional institution and signal a renewed push to strengthen democratic governance, regional security, economic cooperation and institutional reforms across the ECOWAS community.
The Freetown summit brought together Heads of State and Government from across the region to deliberate on pressing political, security and development issues affecting West Africa, with the leadership transition emerging as the defining outcome of the high-level meeting.
The decisions are expected to shape ECOWAS’ strategic direction as the Commission intensifies efforts to restore constitutional order, deepen regional integration and advance the objectives of ECOWAS Vision 2050.
