On September 1 2026, Senegalese General Birame Diop will officially take over as head of the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja, Nigeria. He thus succeeds Omar Alieu Touray at the helm of an organisation weakened by security crises, political rifts and the withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. His four-year term begins with the task of rebuilding regional cooperation.
Appointed on 19 July 2026 in Freetown, Birame Diop is preparing to take over the presidency of the ECOWAS Commission, in an organisation profoundly transformed by the withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, effective since 29 January 2025. A few days before taking office, Birame Diop met with Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the current Chair of ECOWAS, to discuss the priorities of his mandate: the Eco single currency project, free movement, financing and regional security.
We also very respectfully asked the President of the Republic to kindly convey our thanks to all the ECOWAS Heads of State who agreed to accept our candidacy by confirming our appointment as President of the ECOWAS Commission.
BIRAME DIOP, President of the ECOWAS Commission
The new President of the ECOWAS Commission, Birame Diop, will take over the institution at a time marked by new regional dynamics. His military experience could be called upon to address security challenges, particularly to strengthen cooperation, intelligence-sharing and border security. His mandate will also have to preserve ties with Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, while maintaining trade, the mobility of populations and dialogue within the West African region. Beyond security, General Birame Diop will have to revive the economic integration of a region of nearly 400 million people by facilitating the movement of people and goods and promoting trade and investment. The Eco single currency project, still planned for 2027, is among the key issues on the agenda, alongside improving ECOWAS’s financial resources to ensure the funding of its programmes.
These broad priorities concern the upcoming launch of the Eco, the single community currency. But also improving the rate of payment of the Community levy. The communiqué also speaks of the need to facilitate the free movement of people and goods. There is also particular mention of operationalising the anti-terrorism brigade.
BIRAME DIOP, President of the ECOWAS Commission
In an organisation created in 1975 and now without Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, Birame Diop will, from 1 September 2026, have to strengthen security cooperation, maintain dialogue with the Alliance of Sahel States and make regional integration more tangible.
