Sierra Leone hosted the 69th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, comprising eight West African presidents, two vice presidents, six VVIPs, nearly 50 ministers, and over 500 delegates.
The summit took place in two cities, Lungi and Freetown, at two world-class venues, the Bintumani International Conference Centre and the Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre. It was the biggest summit in Sierra Leone since the Organisation of African Unity assembly in Freetown from July 1-4, 1980. Sierra Leone’s security sector has received praise for its excellent protection of visiting dignitaries, with preparations and security planning starting well in advance of the main events.
By carefully coordinating security operations in both cities, the diverse program ran smoothly, and all guests returned safely to their home countries. Four of the eight presidents who came stayed overnight in Sierra Leone, showing that the country can host such high-level regional meetings.
Technical discussions opened meetings and the substantive work of the meetings was technical discussions. The Administration and Finance Technical Committee meeting in Freetown from July 12-14 considered the ECOWAS administrative, financial, and institutional matters. This paved the way for higher decision-making.
On 15 July, the Mediation and Security Council engaged in high-level talks on regional peace, security, governance, and stability. On the same day, the Mediation and Security Council met on the Compact for the Future, which seeks to strengthen regional cooperation and to follow up on the long-term agenda of ECOWAS. The Council of Ministers met on 16-17 July and discussed the recommendations of the committees and also took decisions to be considered by the Authority of Heads of State and Government. The preparatory sessions offered policy options and helped prepare for the summit.
The week’s watershed moment was the official commissioning of the ECOWAS Logistics Depot in Lungi on July 18. His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio, along with four other presidents of the region, inaugurated the facility, a clear demonstration of Sierra Leone’s commitment to the development of world-class infrastructure that supports regional integration and operational readiness.
The Authority of Heads of State and Government met at the 69th Ordinary Summit in Lungi on July 19 to discuss salient policy matters. Delegates discussed key policy decisions, adopted strategic resolutions and renewed their common commitment to peace, democracy, economic growth and deeper regional integration.
Among the major results of the summit was the election of H.E. Bassirou Diomaye Faye, President of the Republic of Senegal, as Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.
H.E. Mr Birame Diop, former Minister of Defence of Senegal, Chief of the General Staff of the Senegalese Armed Forces and former adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General, becomes President of the ECOWAS Commission. General Diop will assume office on September 1, 2026, at the ECOWAS Commission headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria.
Sierra Leone’s successful hosting of the mid-year meetings demonstrated its logistical and security capacities, showcased new regional infrastructure, and produced key leadership and policy decisions for ECOWAS to advance its agenda of peace, stability and integration in West Africa.
