Senegal’s President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, has been elected as the new Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Faye was elected on Monday during the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government held in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where leaders of the regional bloc met to deliberate on key political, economic and security issues affecting West Africa.
He succeeds Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio, who assumed the rotating chairmanship in 2025 after taking over from Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu.
Faye takes over the leadership of the 15-member regional bloc at a critical time, as ECOWAS continues to grapple with terrorism, political instability, democratic governance challenges, and efforts to rebuild relations with Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger following their withdrawal from the organisation.
The 46-year-old Senegalese leader, as Chairman, is expected to spearhead efforts to strengthen regional cooperation, promote democratic governance, deepen economic integration, and restore confidence in the bloc.
