By Kemo Cham
Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has been elected chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Bio was named at the 67th Extraordinary Summit of Heads of States Summit in the Nigerian capital, Abuja. He succeeds Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The development on Sunday June 22, comes as a surprise after it was speculated that Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye was poised to succeed Tinubu.
The ECOWAS chairmanship position is rotational and the holder can serve up to two terms.
Tinubu was first elected to the position in Guinea-Bissau on July 9, 2023 and he was re-elected a year later in Abuja.
Bio becomes the second Sierra Leonean leader to head the regional bloc in its 50-year history, after President Siaka Stevens who headed the body from 1981–1982.
President Bio in his inaugural speech promised to prioritise four key areas during his term: restoring constitutional order and deepening democracy, revitalising regional security cooperation, unlocking economic integration and building institutional credibility.
He has the daunting task of returning junta-led nations Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso to the fold of ECOWAS and ensure the return to democracy of these countries.
Bio also has to deal with next-door neighbor Guinea, with which Sierra Leone has a protracted border dispute.
