Senegal has formally nominated retired Air Force General and current Minister of the Armed Forces, Birame Diop, as its candidate for the presidency of the ECOWAS Commission.
The nomination was announced in a statement issued by Senegal’s Ministry of African Integration, Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday.
According to the statement, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye put forward Diop’s candidature ahead of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government Summit scheduled for July, where member states are expected to consider and approve the appointment.
“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 sub-regional 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.
“Gen. 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,” the statement said.
The Senegalese government expressed confidence in Diop’s ability to advance ECOWAS ideals and objectives with competence, impartiality and dedication.
It noted that his extensive experience, strategic vision, commitment to dialogue and pan-African outlook would strengthen the effectiveness of the regional bloc at a time of growing security, political, economic and institutional challenges.
The statement further highlighted Diop’s international credentials, particularly his service as Military Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General within the Department of Peace Operations.
“His international expertise was confirmed by his appointment as Military Adviser to the Secretary-General of the United Nations at the Department of Peace Operations, where he contributed to the formulation and implementation of policies on conflict prevention, peacekeeping and the consolidation of international security.
“For several years, he supported the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies (ACSS) across the Continent as a Facilitator and Lecturer, training senior African civilian and military officials on issues of Peace, Development, Security and Defence.
“Gen. Diop has conducted research on the critical issue of Security Sector Reform in sub-Saharan Africa at the National Endowment for Democracy and at the Woodrow Wilson Centre in Washington, DC.,” it further said.
The government also credited Diop with contributing to security sector reforms in several African countries by leading teams responsible for drafting National Defence and Security Policies under United Nations and European Union programmes.
In addition, he founded the African Institute for the Security Sector, a prominent organisation dedicated to strengthening Africa’s strategic capabilities, which later evolved into Partners Senegal.
“Through these two institutions, he participated in numerous initiatives promoting participatory and inclusive security governance in Africa,” the Senegalese government said.
Diop, 65, is a graduate of the Royal Air School in Marrakesh, Morocco, the Air University in the United States, and the École de Guerre in Paris. He is currently engaged in academic work focusing on diplomacy and international relations.
NAN recalls that at its 95th Council of Ministers meeting held in Abuja from December 10 to 12, 2025, ECOWAS approved the allocation of the Commission presidency to Senegal.
The recommendation, later endorsed by the Authority of Heads of State and Government, also assigned the position of Vice President to Nigeria, while Liberia is expected to assume the presidency in 2030.
Other allocations approved by the Council include Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security to Sierra Leone; Internal Services to Côte d’Ivoire; Economic Affairs and Agriculture to Liberia; and Human Development and Social Affairs to Benin.
At the ECOWAS Court of Justice, judicial positions becoming vacant this year were allocated to Benin, The Gambia, Liberia, Nigeria and Togo.
