Senegal President elected new Ecowas chairman

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has been elected chairman of the Ecowas Authority of Heads of State and Government, reports Vanguard Nigeria. Faye emerged as the new leader of the regional bloc during the 69th Ordinary Session of the Ecowas Authority held in Sierra Leone. He takes over from Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio, who assumed the position in June 2025 following the completion of President Bola Tinubu’s tenure as chairman. Tinubu formally handed over leadership of the bloc to Bio during the 67th Ordinary Session held in Abuja. Faye’s appointment comes at a critical time for the West African regional body, which continues to grapple with rising insecurity, democratic challenges and strained relations with Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, the three countries that recently withdrew from Ecowas. As chairman, the Senegalese leader is expected to prioritise efforts aimed at strengthening regional cooperation and maintaining diplomatic engagement with the breakaway states in a bid to preserve stability across West Africa. At 46, Faye is among a new generation of African leaders and is widely seen as bringing fresh energy to regional diplomacy. His leadership is expected to advance discussions on institutional reforms, democratic governance, accountability and greater youth participation in public affairs.

Full report in Vanguard Nigeria

The West African bloc Ecowas has urged Guinea-Bissau's military-led government to unconditionally release all detained political figures, including opposition leader Domingos Simoes Pereira, reports Polity. The calls was made at the conclusion of a summit meeting of heads of state in Sierra Leone, a statement said. The release of all political prisoners could ‘bolster the credibility of the transition process,’ Ecowas said. Guinea-Bissau's leaders took power in a coup last November and adopted a one-year transitional charter the following month. Pereira, a former Prime Minister and the leader of the revolutionary PAIGC party, was ordered back to prison on 10 July, his family told Reuters last week. He was previously detained on the day of the coup last year but then moved to house arrest in February, in an apparent attempt to appease Ecowas. Pereira has been accused of economic crimes and involvement in an alleged coup attempt in October 2025, which he denies. The West African country will hold a constitutional referendum on 30 August, followed by general elections on 6 December, according to Ecowas. Guinea-Bissau's Government has not formally announced the election dates. A government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a question about Pereira.

Full Polity report

The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) has reaffirmed its commitment to launching the long-awaited single regional currency, the ECO, in 2027, reports Vanguard Nigeria. According to the regional body, this is a major step towards deeper economic integration, stronger regional trade and sustainable growth across West Africa. The decision was one of the major outcomes of the recent Ecowas gathering in Sierra Leone, under the chairmanship of Sierra Leonean President, Julius Maada Bio. On the single currency programme, the body declared that ‘the authority reiterates its firm commitment to the launch of the ECO in 2027 as a key instrument for deepening regional economic integration and promoting sustainable, inclusive and resilient growth within the community’. According to a communiqué, the ECO will initially be adopted by member states that meet the agreed convergence criteria, while countries yet to qualify will receive support to enable them join the regional currency at a later stage. It welcomed the registration of the name ‘ECO’ with African Intellectual Property Organisation and directed the commission to secure trademark registration with other regional and international intellectual property bodies.

Full report in Vanguard Nigeria