Senegal’s President, Diomaye Faye, has been elected Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.
Faye was chosen during the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority held in Sierra Leone on Sunday.
He succeeds Sierra Leone’s President, Julius Maada Bio, who assumed the position after President Bola Tinubu completed his two-term tenure as ECOWAS chairman in June 2025.
Tinubu formally handed over the leadership of the regional bloc to Bio during the 67th Ordinary Session held in Abuja, Nigeria.
Faye takes office at a critical time for ECOWAS as the regional body continues to grapple with insecurity, democratic challenges, and the withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
As chairman, he is expected to strengthen diplomatic engagement with the three breakaway countries while advancing efforts to restore unity within the bloc.
At 46, Faye is among Africa’s youngest presidents. His emergence is expected to bring renewed focus to ECOWAS reforms, particularly in governance, accountability, youth inclusion and institutional credibility.
His appointment also places Senegal at the forefront of key regional political and diplomatic initiatives.
