Senegal’s retired air force general, Birame Diop, officially took over on Monday as President of the ECOWAS Commission.
The swearing-in and handover ceremony was held at the ECOWAS headquarters in Abuja. It included the signing of handover notes and the presentation of certificates and gifts to the outgoing leadership.
Diop replaces Dr. Omar Alieu Touray of The Gambia, who completed a four-year term that began in 2022.
Before this appointment, Diop served as Senegal’s Minister of Defence from 2024 to June 2026. He was also previously Chief of the General Staff of the Senegalese Armed Forces, and later worked as a military adviser in the United Nations Department of Peace Operations. Earlier in his career, he served with the UN peacekeeping mission in Bunia, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Joining him on the new ECOWAS Commission management team is Anthony Ogunjimi as Vice-President.
The new commissioners announced are:
- Amin Amidu Sulemani – CIED
- Dehpue Yenpea Zuo – CEAAs
- Arifari Nassirou Bako – CHDSAs
- Mrs. Frances Piagie Alghali – CPAPS
- Dr. Kalilou Sylla – CISs
New statutory appointees include:
- Mrs. Carla Maria Borges Bettencourt – Auditor-General
- Dr. Palokinam Pitche – Director-General, West African Health Organisation (WAHO)
- Mam Cherno Jallow – Director-General, GIABA
Diop’s tenure begins at a time when the regional bloc is focused on security, economic integration, and democratic governance across West Africa.
