Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio Elected ECOWAS Chairman

Sierra Leone’s President, Julius Maada Bio, has been elected as the new Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). He succeeds Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, following the regional bloc’s 67th Ordinary Session, which took place on Sunday in Abuja, Nigeria.

President Bio, a former military head of state in 1996 who returned as a civilian leader in 2018 and was re-elected in 2023, now takes on the ECOWAS leadership role at a pivotal time. The West African region is facing growing threats to its stability, with multiple coups in recent years and increasing concerns over terrorism and democratic backsliding.

Three ECOWAS member countries — Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger — are currently under military rule and have exited the bloc to form the Alliance of Sahel States. With a one-year tenure ahead of him, observers will be keen to see whether Bio will initiate efforts to reconcile with these breakaway states and restore ECOWAS unity. Notably, former Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama was present at the summit and has since returned to Accra.