Former Senegalese Minister of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Birame Diop was officially installed as President of the Ecowas Commission this Monday in Abuja.
Succeeding Gambian Omar Alieu Touray, the new head of the regional executive inherits major strategic issues, ranging from regional connectivity to the launch of the single currency, the Eco.
The installation ceremony was presided over by Cheikh Niang, Senegal’s Minister of African Integration, Foreign Affairs, and Senegalese Abroad, acting in his capacity as Chairman of the Ecowas Council of Foreign Ministers. This appointment formalises the decisions adopted at the 69th Ordinary Session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government, held on 19th July in Lungi, Sierra Leone.
General Birame Diop, who headed Senegal’s Ministry of the Armed Forces from April 2024 to June 2026, succeeds Gambian diplomat Omar Alieu Touray, who had led the commission since July 2022.
On behalf of Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye — the current chairperson of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the organisation — Cheikh Niang extended his best wishes for success to the new chairperson of the commission and his entire incoming team. The Senegalese foreign minister reaffirmed on this occasion Senegal’s commitment to strengthening regional solidarity and completing African integration.
The mission awaiting the new leadership team is as vast as it is complex. In his address, the prime minister emphasised the major priority projects that General Diop must tackle without delay.
Among these priorities, the strengthening of transport and energy infrastructure, essential for accelerating regional interconnections, is paramount. However, the major test of this mandate will undoubtedly remain adherence to the community timetable for the effective launch of the Eco, the single currency of Ecowas, scheduled for 2027.
Faced with the security and economic challenges shaking the sub-region, General Birame Diop’s military and strategic experience will be a key asset in injecting new momentum into the West African institution.
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