Senegal’s President Faye Takes Over ECOWAS Chairmanship at Regional Summit

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has assumed the rotating chairmanship of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), taking the helm of the 15-member regional bloc during a period marked by political turbulence and security challenges across West Africa. The handover places Senegal at the center of efforts to steer the organisation through a period of significant strain on regional cooperation.

A new mandate for the regional bloc

The ECOWAS chairmanship rotates among member states, and the role typically carries responsibility for setting the institutional agenda, representing the bloc on the international stage, and mediating disputes among member countries. Faye, who rose to the presidency in 2024, now inherits a leadership position that has in recent years grappled with coups in several member states, the withdrawal of some members from the bloc, and ongoing security threats from armed groups in the Sahel and across the wider region.

Senegal, long considered a pillar of democratic stability in West Africa, brings its diplomatic weight to the role. Analysts note that Dakar’s relative political stability and its tradition of hosting regional negotiations may shape how the new chair approaches the bloc’s pressing concerns, including relations with countries that have formally announced their intention to leave the organisation.

Regional challenges on the agenda

Among the issues likely to dominate Faye’s tenure are counter-terrorism coordination, economic integration under the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area, and the reinvigoration of democratic governance across the region. ECOWAS has, in the past, taken a firm stance against unconstitutional changes of government, though the effectiveness of its sanctions and mediation efforts has faced criticism in recent years.

The new leadership will also need to manage relations with the Alliance of Sahel States, a breakaway grouping formed by countries that have distanced themselves from ECOWAS. Restoring dialogue with these member states while maintaining the bloc’s normative position remains one of the most delicate diplomatic tasks facing the Senegalese chairmanship.

Looking ahead

Faye’s elevation to the ECOWAS chairmanship comes at a time when West African governments are searching for fresh momentum in regional cooperation. The Senegalese presidency is expected to use the platform to advance initiatives on trade, security, and institutional reform, while navigating the political fault lines that have emerged within the bloc in recent years. The coming months are likely to test whether the new leadership can reassert ECOWAS’s relevance in a region undergoing profound political transformation.

Source: FRANCE 24 — read the original report.