The Senegalese government has nominated Birame Diop, a retired air force general and the country’s current minister of the armed forces, as its candidate for president of the Economic Community of West African States. Mr Diop’s nomination was announced in a statement by Senegal’s Ministry of African Integration, Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad, on Monday.

It explained that Senegal’s president, Bassirou Faye, had named Mr Diop as the commission’s president, pending approval at the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government summit scheduled for July.

“Should he be confirmed at the July 2026 Summit, he would bring to the office a rare blend of operational credibility, diplomatic temperament and institutional vision—an asset to the community and its member states.

“This candidature reflects Senegal’s desire to place at the disposal of our subregional community a figure of great merit, recognised for his leadership, his integrity, his command experience, and his profound knowledge of issues of peace, security, governance and regional integration.

“General Birame Diop possesses a remarkable record of service to Senegal, to Africa, and to the international community. He has previously held, inter alia, the posts of Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Chief of the President of the Republic’s Military Staff, and Chief of Staff of the Air Force,” it said.

According to the statement, Senegal expresses its confidence in Mr Diop’s capacity to serve the ideals and objectives of ECOWAS with competence, impartiality and dedication, for the benefit of all the peoples of the region.

It said that Senegal was convinced that Mr Diop’s experience, strategic vision, aptitude for dialogue and pan-African commitment constitute major assets for enhancing the effectiveness of ECOWAS.

The government added that, in a regional context, for a bloc marked by unprecedented security, political, economic and institutional challenges, Diop’s expertise would support ECOWAS’ ambitions for peace, stability, prosperity and integration.

Mr Diop also contributed to security sector reform processes initiated in several African countries by supervising teams responsible for drafting National Defence and Security Policies under the UN’s and EU’s auspices.

He is said to have also established the African Institute for the Security Sector, a leading institution dedicated to strengthening the strategic capacities of the continent, which subsequently became Partners Senegal.

“Through these two institutions, he participated in numerous initiatives promoting participatory and inclusive security governance in Africa,” the Senegalese government said.

Mr Diop, 65, a graduate of the Royal Air School in Marrakesh, Morocco; Air University in the U.S.; and the École de Guerre in Paris, is currently pursuing academic work in diplomacy and international relations.

At its 95th Council of Ministers’ meeting, held in Abuja from December 10 to 12, 2025, ECOWAS approved the allocation of the ECOWAS presidency to Senegal.

The ministers’ recommendation, later endorsed by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, also designated the vice president’s position for Nigeria, while Liberia will succeed Senegal in 2030.

Other positions allocated include those of commissioner for political affairs, peace and security (Sierra Leone); internal services (Ivory Coast); economic affairs and agriculture (Liberia); and human development and social affairs (Bénin).

Also, at the ECOWAS Court of Justice, the current judges, whose tenures will end this year, had their statutory positions allocated by the Council to Bénin, Gambia, Liberia, Nigeria and Togo.

(NAN)