Sierra Leone's President Bio to be the next ECOWAS chairman with region in turmoil

Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has been chosen to beryllium the adjacent president of the West African economical bloc, ECOWAS

ABUJA, Nigeria -- Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio was chosen connected Sunday to beryllium the adjacent president of the West African economical bloc, ECOWAS.

The Economic Community of West African States, known arsenic ECOWAS, was founded successful 1975, and is facing challenges owed to rising violence, subordinate departures and economical disturbances.

In a connection pursuing Sunday's announcement, Bio promised to prioritize democracy, information cooperation, economical integration and organization credibility.

“We are inactive confronting insecurity successful the Sahel and coastal states, terrorism, governmental instability, illicit arms travel and transnational organized crimes proceed to trial the resilience of our nations and the effectiveness of our institutions,” helium said.

Bio is presently serving his 2nd word arsenic president aft a contested election 2 years agone successful the coastal West African country.

He was president erstwhile ECOWAS imposed terrible sanctions connected Niger pursuing a coup 2 years ago. Niger cited the sanctions arsenic 1 of the reasons for leaving the bloc. Sierra Leone was 1 of the countries that supported a military intervention successful the state successful 2023.

At home, Bio is facing an ongoing synthetic cause crisis and a stagnating economy.

Bio's caller presumption comes arsenic the portion faces its astir terrible situation successful decades with jihadist forces controlling immense swaths of the Sahel, a semi-arid portion southbound of the Sahara.

In the past fewer years, ECOWAS has struggled with the departure of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger which person each faced subject coups. All 3 juntas near the bloc, and created their ain information partnership, the Alliance of Sahel States. They person chopped ties with the accepted Western allies, ousting French and American subject forces, and alternatively sought caller information ties with Russia.

The 3 countries person been the hardest deed by jihadist unit successful caller years.

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