Senegal President Diomaye Faye has been elected Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, taking over the leadership of the West African bloc at a critical time for the region.
Faye emerged as the new chairman during the 69th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), held in Sierra Leone on Sunday.
The 46-year-old Senegalese leader succeeds Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, who assumed the rotating chairmanship after President Bola Tinubu completed his two-term tenure in June 2025. Tinubu handed over leadership to Bio during the 67th Ordinary Session of the Authority in Abuja.
Faye takes office as ECOWAS grapples with mounting security threats, democratic challenges and the continued withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger from the regional bloc.
As chairman, he is expected to prioritise efforts to restore confidence in ECOWAS while maintaining dialogue with the three breakaway nations in a bid to strengthen regional cooperation.
His election also places Senegal at the forefront of major diplomatic and political decisions affecting West Africa.
At 46, Faye represents a younger generation of African leaders, with expectations that his tenure could inject fresh momentum into ECOWAS reforms focused on governance, accountability, youth inclusion and institutional credibility.
The development comes as the regional bloc seeks to reinforce unity and address pressing political and security concerns across West Africa.
