International - 2026 July 19
At the conclusion of the 69th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, the Community entrusted the President of the Republic, His Excellency Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Faye, with the Chairmanship of ECOWAS.
This appointment reflects the confidence placed in a respected voice and a vision consistently championed by the President. Addressing his fellow Heads of State and Government, he delivered a clear-eyed assessment of the Community's situation: an economy that has demonstrated resilience yet remains vulnerable; a region weakened by the threat of terrorism; and institutions that must continue to reform. To each of these challenges, he proposed a common imperative for action: the operationalization of the ECOWAS Regional Counter-Terrorism Force, greater pooling of resources, stronger financial autonomy for the Community, and enhanced protection for populations affected by insecurity.
In accepting this responsibility, the President acknowledged the weight of a fifty-year legacy built on solidarity, regional integration, and collective progress. He pledged to preserve and strengthen that legacy by adapting it to the challenges of our time: collective security, institutional stability, political and economic sovereignty, and a stronger, more influential, and more credible West African voice on the international stage.
A mandate of trust. A responsibility fully embraced. An ambition dedicated to the service of the entire region.
🇸🇳 "Long live ECOWAS! Long live a reconciled and united West Africa!"
