Senegal’s President Faye Elected ECOWAS Chairman

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has been elected Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), taking over from Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio.

The 46-year-old was chosen during the regional bloc’s summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone, becoming one of the youngest leaders to assume the rotating chairmanship of ECOWAS.

Faye takes office at a critical moment for West Africa, with the region facing escalating security threats, democratic challenges and strained relations with Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger following their withdrawal from the bloc.

Responding to his election, the Senegalese leader said he accepted the responsibility with humility and thanked fellow heads of state for the confidence they had placed in Senegal.

“It is with humility that I welcome the trust placed in our country, called upon to preside over ECOWAS,” Faye said.

He also thanked his peers for what he described as the spirit of brotherhood that guided the summit’s deliberations.

Faye used his remarks to congratulate General Birame Diop, who was elected President of the ECOWAS Commission, and pledged his full support to the new Commission leadership.

“Long live ECOWAS. Long live a reconciled and united West Africa,” he added.

As chairman, Faye is expected to prioritise efforts to rebuild regional cooperation, maintain diplomatic engagement with the three military-led states and push reforms aimed at strengthening governance, accountability and youth participation across the region.

His election has also drawn attention as a symbol of a new generation of African leadership emerging at a time when ECOWAS is under pressure to restore unity and respond to growing instability in West Africa.