Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has been elected chairman of the Economic Community of West African States, succeeding Sierra Leone’s Julius Maada Bio.
Faye emerged as the new leader of the regional bloc during the 69th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government in Sierra Leone on Sunday.
The 46-year-old represents a younger generation of African leaders at a critical time for ECOWAS, marked by security challenges, democratic issues and the withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
As chairman, Faye is expected to focus on rebuilding trust and maintaining dialogue with the three Sahel states. His election places Senegal at the centre of key regional decisions on governance and integration.
Biram Diop was also appointed president of the ECOWAS Commission at the same meeting. The transition follows President Bola Tinubu’s tenure, which ended in June 2025.
