By Paul Ejime
From the wholesale changes to its leadership architecture at the just-concluded mid-year Summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone, ECOWAS might have saddled Senegal and its leaders with more responsibilities than they can handle, with far-reaching implications, given the country’s current domestic political and economic challenges.
The regional leaders at their 69th Ordinary Summit appointed Gen. Birame Diop (rtd), Senegal’s former Minister of the Armed Forces and ex-Military Adviser for United Nations Peace Operations, as President of the ECOWAS Commission for the 2026-2030 term. Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye was elected the new Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government for a one-year term. The Commission coordinates the administrative activities of regional institutions and Specialized Agencies of the 51-year-old organisation, while the Chairman of the Authority provides policy guidance.
(Top L-R) Faye taking the mantle of ECOWAS Chair of Authority from Bio & Gen. Diop (Bottom) ECOWAS Leaders at Freetown Summit
Diop replaces Gambia’s Dr Omar Alieu Touray, whose four-year term has been rather bumpy, with myriad leadership and governance challenges, It also saw the withdrawal in January 2005 of three Member States – Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger – which formed the Alliance of Sahel States, AES. The three are ruled by military juntas, and Guinea-Bissau, the fourth Member State under an army dictatorship, is suspended, leaving ECOWAS with 11 active Member States out of 15.
As if the responsibilities piled on Senegal were not enough, the Freetown Summit also appointed the country as the “facilitator” “…to support dialogue efforts towards an inclusive and smooth transition to constitutional order” in Guinea-Bissau.
In the former Portuguese colony, notorious for political instability, ex-President Umaro Sissoco Embaló orchestrated a self-coup in November 2025 to avoid an electoral defeat and is ‘remote-controlling’ the junta regime populated by his allies.
Faye succeeds Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio as ECOWAS Chairman. From all indications, Bio supports Embaló and had wanted another term as ECOWAS chair, but apparently, his performance and that of the Commission under Touray have raised several unanswered leadership questions.
Many had expected ECOWAS to insist on the release of the results of the 23 November 2025 elections, which were ready for announcement before the Embaló coup of 26 November. Instead, the Freetown Summit, “…takes note of the efforts underway in Guinea-Bissau to conclude the country’s political transition through a constitutional referendum slated for 30 August 2026 and the holding of general elections scheduled for 6 December 2026.”
Continuing, “The Authority calls on the transition authorities to ensure strict respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms, and judicial safeguards for all citizens of Guinea-Bissau, including those being prosecuted or accused in connection with events that took place under the previous regime. It further urges the authorities to unconditionally release all political figures still in detention, including the opposition PAIGC leader, as a goodwill gesture to engender a more favourable climate for inclusive engagements, reassure the opposition, and bolster the credibility of the transition process.”
This is despite the demand by Guinea-Bissau opposition parties, which have called ECOWAS’ attention to the fact that the junta’s transition programme “is a sham.” They also reminded ECOWAS leaders of their decision at the Abuja Summit on December 14, 2025, calling for a civilian-led transition “with a civilian President and a civilian Prime Minister (to head) an inclusive government that reflects the political spectrum of Guinean society, (and) responsible for carrying out the necessary structural reforms (to) organize free, fair, and transparent elections on a new date to be defined by consensus.”
By appointing Senegal as Chief Mediator of the Guinea-Bissau crisis, ECOWAS leaders can be accused of taking sides with the Bissau junta. Faye has never hidden his support for Embaló. After the November 2025 coup, the Senegalese leader dispatched a plane to Bissau to evacuate Embaló, who only left Senegal unceremoniously due to opposition by then-Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, Faye’s former friend-turned political foe.
It is therefore unlikely that the Guinea-Bissau crisis would be resolved by Faye given his and, by extension, ECOWAS’ perceived bias. Apart from Faye’s domestic political battle with Sonko, the added regional assignment can only complicate Faye’s role as ECOWAS Chairman with ramifications for future elections and political governance, not just in Guinea-Bissau and Senegal but the ECOWAS region at large.
ECOWAS has a Stabilization Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ESSMGB), which, along with a similar Mission in the Gambia, operates more like Palace guards for regime protection, due to their dubious mandates, which the Commission is trying to review. ECOWAS is owing the Missions’ troop-contributing countries more than US$120 million, and counting.
Analysts had expected a strong ECOWAS statement in Freetown barring Embaló and officials of the military junta from future elections in Guinea-Bissau in line with the 2001 regional Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. But having failed to apply its own rules in Guinea, where a coup leader has conducted an election and won, ECOWAS has put itself in a quandary.
The ECOWAS Authority “…congratulates H.E. Mamadi Doumbouya, on his election as the President of the Republic of Guinea,“ said the Communiqué of the Freetown Summit.
Togo and Benin are among member States that have violated the same 2001 Protocol by organising questionable elections in recent years without consequences.
Meanwhile, the Freetown Summit approved the appointment of new Commissioners to replace the Touray-led Commission and the leadership of other Community Institutions from 1 September 2026.
The new Commissioners are: Political Affairs, Peace and Security: Mrs Francess Piagie Alghali (Sierra Leone); Economic Affairs and Agriculture: Mr Dehpue Yenpea Zuo (Liberia); Internal Services: Dr Kalilou Sylla (Côte d’Ivoire); Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalisation: Mr Amin Amidu Suleiman (Ghana); and Human Development and Social Affairs: Prof. Nassirou Bako-Arifari (Benin). Nigeria was given additional time to name a candidate for the Commission’s Vice-President position.
The Director General, West African Health Organisation (WAHO) is Dr Palokinam T. Pitche (Togo); Director General, Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA): Mr Mam Cherno Jallow (The Gambia); while Auditor General for ECOWAS Institutions is Ms Carla Maria Borges Bettencourt (Cabo Verde).
The Authority also named five new judges for the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice from Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Liberia and the Gambia for 2026-2030, to replace those whose terms have ended.
A major economic decision by the Freetown Summit is the regional leaders’ “firm commitment to launch the ECO (regional currency) in 2027 as a key instrument for deepening regional economic integration and promoting sustainable, inclusive and resilient growth within the Community.”
The programme has been delayed for more than a decade. According to the final communique, “…the launch of the ECO shall commence with those countries that meet the established convergence criteria and are ready to participate. At the same time, appropriate support will be provided to countries that are not yet ready, with a view to facilitating their subsequent accession to the single currency.”
ECOWAS leaders also adopted the Declaration of Commitment to the Compact on the Future of Regional Integration “…there by reinforcing their collective resolve to consolidate regional unity, secure lasting peace, and accelerate shared, sustainable development across the ECOWAS and West African Community.”
The Authority also welcomed the signing of the Inter-Governmental Agreement on the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP), reaffirming support for the project, involving ECOWAS countries, notably Nigeria, and Morocco.
The Authority expressed “deep concern over the continued deterioration of the security situation across the region, particularly in the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, characterized by attacks, kidnapping, and disruptive operations by Terrorist Armed Groups (TAGs), insurgents, and bandits on communities and security forces, causing the loss of lives, destruction of property, and mass displacements.” It urged member States to settle their arrears of Community Levy and also “pledge capabilities” for the activation of the regional Force on counter-terrorism.
The mandates of Amb. Baba Kamara, the ECOWAS Special Envoy on Counter-terrorism and Chief Negotiator with the AES countries, Dr Lansana Kouyaté, were renewed for three years, and until December 2026, respectively.
The Authority thanked China for building and donating the ECOWAS new Headquarters building in Abuja.
Take nothing away from the achievements of ECOWAS as the best-performing among Africa’s eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs). Still, the realisation of most of the Freetown Summit goals will depend largely on the quality of leadership at the Commission, Community Institutions, and at the national level.
It remains to be seen what Faye, as Chair of the ECOWAS Authority and Gen. Diop, his compatriot from the nation of Teranga Lions, as President of the Commission, will bring to halt the dangerous leadership and reputational slide at the Abuja-based regional body.
Nigeria must step up to the table to lead the rescue mission before it is too late.
Ejime is a Global Affairs Analyst and Consultant on Peace & Security and Governance Communication
