West Africa: Faye, Diop Set Ecowas Agenda As Bloc Faces Sahel Split

What the report says

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and incoming ECOWAS Commission President Birame Diop have outlined priorities for the West African bloc as it navigates a political split with three Sahel states that have left the organization. According to AllAfrica’s source report from Daba Finance, the two met in Dakar on August 27, just before Diop is due to take up the post on September 1.

The discussions focused on several core ECOWAS projects: the planned ECO single currency, collection of regional levies, freer movement of people and goods, and the creation of a counterterrorism force. The bloc has said it still aims to begin introducing the ECO in 2027, with a phased approach for countries that meet convergence criteria. Security cooperation remains central as member states confront jihadist violence, cross-border crime and other armed threats.

The report places the meeting in the context of the departure of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, which formally exited ECOWAS in January 2025 and formed the Alliance of Sahel States. Although politically separate, they still share economic ties with ECOWAS members through the West African Economic and Monetary Union and the CFA franc. That makes the bloc’s challenge both political and practical: preserve cooperation on trade, currency and security while keeping dialogue open with the Sahel governments.