Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has been elected as the new chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), taking over from Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu.
This transition occurred during a summit in Abuja, Nigeria, amidst significant challenges facing the West African bloc.
ECOWAS is grappling with mounting unrest, a series of military coups, and subdued regional trade.
Jihadist groups are exploiting strained relationships between countries and intensifying their offensives across the Sahel and Lake Chad regions, with recent bloody raids in Mali, incursions in Burkina Faso, and heavy losses inflicted on the army in Niger.
Host nation Nigeria has also seen a recent spike in attacks targeting villagers and military bases.
Outgoing ECOWAS chair Tinubu highlighted the “stark and consistent challenges that continue to impede our aspirations,” specifically mentioning “security threats, violent extremism and other cross-border trends.”
