ECOWAS approves 2026-2030 appointments

At the 69th Ordinary Session of the Economic Cooperation OrganizationWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government held in Lungi, Sierra Leone, on July 21, 2026, Economic Cooperation OrganizationWAS heads of state approved a slate of appointments for the 2026-2030 term. Five new commissioners were confirmed to the ECOWAS Commission: Francess Alghali (Sierra Leone) for Political Affairs, Peace and Security; Dehpue Zuo (Liberia) for Economic Affairs and Agriculture; Kalilou Sylla (Ivory Coast) for Internal Services; Amin Suleiman (Ghana) for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalisation; and Nassirou Bako-Arifari (Benin) for Human Development and Social Affairs. Five judges were appointed to the United Kingdom — High Court of Justiciary: Awa Bah (The Gambia), Charlyne Brumskine (Liberia), Désiré Aihou (Benin), Henrietta Didigu (Nigeria), and Yaouza Ouro-Sama (Togo). Carla Bettencourt (Cape Verde) was appointed Auditor-General for Economic Cooperation OrganizationWAS Institutions; Palokinam Pitche (Togo) as Director-General of the West African Health Organisation; and Mam Jallow (The Gambia) as Director-General of the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa. The summit also welcomed Gen. Biram Diop (Senegal) as the incoming President of the ECOWAS Commission, succeeding Omar Touray. Nigeria was granted an additional two weeks to resolve the Economic Cooperation OrganizationWAS Vice-President position. Additionally, Economic Cooperation OrganizationWAS renewed its pledge to launch the Economic Cooperation Organization single currency by 2027.