Sierra Leone’s President Maada Bio takes over as ECOWAS Chair amid rising regional tensions

Sierra Leone’s President, Julius Maada Bio, has been chosen to lead the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as its new Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government.

The announcement was made during the 67th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS, held on Sunday in Abuja, Nigeria. President Bio succeeds Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the rotating one-year position.

A former Brigadier General, Maada Bio once briefly served as Sierra Leone’s military leader in 1996 before transitioning to democratic politics. He was first elected President in 2018 and secured a second term in 2023 after a tightly contested election.

His new role comes at a defining moment for the West African bloc, which is confronting serious political and security challenges. Four of the fifteen ECOWAS member states are currently under military rule, and the recent departure of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—who have formed the Alliance of Sahel States—has dealt a blow to the unity of the organisation.

In his own country, President Bio is navigating internal turbulence, including post-election tensions and ongoing controversy surrounding a reported coup plot. His predecessor, former President Ernest Bai Koroma, remains in Nigeria in what officials have described as a voluntary stay abroad.

As ECOWAS Chair, Maada Bio will be expected to steer the bloc through these difficulties. Restoring civilian rule in military-led states, healing divisions among member countries, and reinforcing ECOWAS' relevance in the face of emerging sub-regional groupings will be among the urgent issues on his agenda.

“Stronger Together, For a Brighter Future” is the theme for ECOWAS’ 50th anniversary celebrations, a fitting call for unity at a time of fragmentation.

Former President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, was also present at the summit and has since returned home after the session concluded.