Senegal has officially put forward retired Air Force General and Minister of the Armed Forces, Birame Diop, as its candidate for the presidency of the ECOWAS Commission ahead of the regional bloc’s leadership selection process.
The nomination was announced in a statement issued by Senegal’s Ministry of African Integration, Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad.
According to the ministry, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye endorsed Diop’s candidature ahead of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government Summit scheduled for July 2026, where member states are expected to consider and approve the appointment.
The government described Diop as a seasoned leader whose extensive military, diplomatic and administrative experience would strengthen the regional organisation at a time of growing political, security and economic challenges.
It noted that his nomination reflects Senegal’s commitment to offering a candidate with proven leadership qualities, integrity, strategic expertise and a deep understanding of peacebuilding, governance and regional integration.
Diop has held several high-profile positions during his career, including Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Chief of the Military Staff to the President of Senegal and Chief of Staff of the Air Force.
The ministry expressed confidence that he would serve ECOWAS with professionalism, neutrality and dedication if elected, while helping to advance the bloc’s goals of regional stability, economic development and integration.
It further highlighted his international credentials, noting that he previously served as Military Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General within the Department of Peace Operations, where he contributed to policy development on conflict prevention, peacekeeping and international security.
Diop has also worked extensively with the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, facilitating training programmes for senior African civilian and military officials on issues related to peace, security, defence and development.
His academic and research engagements have included studies on security sector reform in sub-Saharan Africa at institutions such as the National Endowment for Democracy and the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C.
The statement added that he played advisory roles in security sector reform initiatives across several African countries, overseeing teams involved in developing national defence and security policies under the auspices of the United Nations and the European Union.
Diop is also credited with founding the African Institute for the Security Sector, which later evolved into Partners Senegal, organisations that have supported efforts aimed at promoting inclusive and participatory security governance across the continent.
Aged 65, Diop trained at the Royal Air School in Marrakesh, Morocco, the U.S. Air University and the École de Guerre in Paris. He is currently engaged in academic studies focused on diplomacy and international relations.
Under an earlier ECOWAS power-sharing arrangement approved by the bloc’s Council of Ministers and endorsed by the Authority of Heads of State and Government, Senegal was designated to produce the next President of the ECOWAS Commission. Nigeria is expected to occupy the position of Vice President, while Liberia is slated to assume the presidency in 2030.
The arrangement also distributed other key positions among member states, including 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.
In addition, seats on the ECOWAS Court of Justice that will become vacant at the end of the year have been allocated to Benin, The Gambia, Liberia, Nigeria and Togo as part of the bloc’s rotational framework.