By Nwosa Hamilton
The newly appointed President of the ECOWAS Commission, General Birame Diop, has officially assumed office.
General Diop, a former Senegalese Minister of Defence and former Chief of the General Staff of the Senegalese Armed Forces, was appointed by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at its 69th Ordinary Summit in Sierra Leone.
He succeeds Dr. Omar Alieu Touray of The Gambia, whose four-year tenure as President of the ECOWAS Commission has come to an end.
Diop pledged to provide strategic leadership as the organisation works to strengthen regional integration, peace and security, economic cooperation, and institutional effectiveness.
Under his leadership, reforms and new approaches to programme implementation are expected. However, consolidating existing initiatives in economic integration, security, and political stability across West Africa will remain a key priority.
The New Diplomat reports that Anthony Ogunjimi of Nigeria will serve as the new Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, while all the Commissioners have also been replaced.
