Senegal’s President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, has been elected Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
President Faye was elected during the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority held in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where West African leaders unanimously endorsed his leadership to steer the regional bloc through growing political, security and economic challenges.
In his acceptance speech, Faye pledged to strengthen regional unity, peace and security through closer collaboration among member states. He stressed that dialogue, solidarity and collective action remain essential to addressing terrorism, political instability, humanitarian crises and other challenges confronting the sub-region.
The Senegalese leader also reaffirmed his commitment to promoting democratic governance, economic integration and policies that will boost trade, investment, infrastructure development and the free movement of people and goods across West Africa.
His election comes as ECOWAS intensifies efforts to restore regional stability, deepen economic cooperation and reinforce constitutional governance amid persistent security threats and economic pressures.
Since assuming office as Senegal’s president in 2024, Faye has championed transparency, institutional reforms and economic transformation. His emergence as ECOWAS Chairman is widely seen as a vote of confidence in Senegal’s longstanding role in advancing regional diplomacy, peacebuilding and democratic governance.
The summit also reviewed key regional issues, including security cooperation, food security, infrastructure development and economic integration, with leaders reaffirming their commitment to strengthening peace, democracy and sustainable development across the ECOWAS region.
