Senegal's Bassirou Diomaye Faye Elected ECOWAS Chairman
Bassirou Diomaye Faye became Chairman of ECOWAS during the 69th Ordinary Session in Sierra Leone, where leaders also addressed regional security and political reconciliation.
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal was elected Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) during the bloc's 69th Ordinary Session in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Faye succeeds President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone. In a parallel leadership shift, Senegal's General Birame Diop was elected President of the ECOWAS Commission for the 2026–2030 term, marking the first time Senegal has held this executive position since the organization's founding in 1975.
The summit, themed "Where Peace Lives," served as a venue for regional diplomacy and reconciliation. Former Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma returned to his home country for the first time since January 2024 after the Government of Sierra Leone dropped all criminal charges against him. Other regional leaders attended the session, including Liberian President Joseph Boakai and Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Faye's new leadership begins as the 15-member bloc manages terrorism, political instability, and the withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. He has pledged to focus on collective security, economic sovereignty, and regional unity to address these sub-regional challenges.
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