Senegalese President elected ECOWAS chairman

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has been elected as the new chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The 46-year-old was chosen during the bloc’s 66th ordinary summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on Tuesday, taking over from Sierra Leone’s Julius Maada Bio.

Faye assumes the role at a pivotal moment for West Africa. The regional bloc continues to face growing security threats, democratic setbacks and strained ties with Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, which withdrew from the bloc earlier this year. The three military-led nations were not present at the summit.

Addressing the summit, Faye described the regional economy as “resilient but still vulnerable” and West Africa as “a region weakened by terrorism,” underscoring the need for institutional reform. He urged the 15-member bloc to operationalise its regional counter-terrorism force, pool resources, strengthen its financial autonomy, and better protect communities affected by insecurity.

The one-day summit, which focused on the future of regional integration, the political and security situation in West Africa, institutional reform, and the financial sustainability of the regional bloc, also saw the appointment of Senegal’s former armed forces minister, Birame Diop, as president of the ECOWAS Commission for the 2026-2030 term. He will assume office on September 1 at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria.

Faye, Senegal’s youngest president, is widely seen as representing a generational shift in West African leadership. His one-year term as ECOWAS chairman gives him a platform to push reforms aimed at strengthening governance, accountability and youth participation across the region.

The summit outcomes are expected to shape the bloc’s direction as it navigates a complex security and political landscape.

SOURCE: APA