The president of Sierra Leone, organic, be the next president of Ceceas, in the midst of regional disorders
Abuja, Nigeria (AP) – The president of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, was chosen on Sunday to be the next president of the West African economic block, Ecowas.
The Economic Community of West African States, known as Ceceas, was founded in 1975 and is faced with challenges due to the increase in violence, the departures of members and economic disorders.
In a statement after Sunday’s announcement, BIO promised to prioritize democracy, security cooperation, economic integration and institutional credibility.
“We are still faced with insecurity in the Sahel and coastal states, terrorism, political instability, the flow of illicit weapons and organized transnational crimes continue to test the resilience of our nations and the efficiency of our institutions,” he said.
BIO is currently serving its second warrant as president after a disputed election two years ago in the West African coastal country.
He was president when the ECOWAS imposed serious sanctions in Niger following a coup d’etat two years ago. Niger cited sanctions as one of the reasons to leave the block. Sierra Leone was one of the countries that supported military intervention in the country in 2023.
At home, Bio faces an ongoing synthetic drug crisis and a stagnated economy.
The new organic position occurs while the region faces its most serious crisis for decades with jihadist forces controlling large expanses of the Sahel, a semi-arid region in the south of the Sahara.
In recent years, Ecowas has experienced difficulties with the departure of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger who have all faced military coups. The three juntas left the block and created their own security partnership, the Alliance de Sahel states. They cut links with the traditional Western allies, ousted French and American military forces, and rather looked for new security ties with Russia.
The three countries have been touched by jihadist violence in recent years.
