ECOWAS Backs Senegal For Chairperson Of AU

By Kemi Yesufu

The Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic

Community of West African States (ECOWAS) met in an Extraordinary

Session on Tuesday with the decision to nominate a Senegalese candidate for the position of African Union (AU) chairperson.

ECOWAS leaders met via videoconference, under the chairmanship

of Mr. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of

Ghana, and Chair of the Authority, in preparation for the 34th ordinary

Session of the Assembly of the African Union on the election of the new

management team of the African Union Commission.

The leaders in a communiqué issued after the meeting said a report on the nomination of Senegal for the top job had been adopted, even as they directed the President of the ECOWAS Commission to take the necessary steps to

immediately notify the African Union Commission of the nomination.

“The Authority also instructs the President of the Commission to

propose, for adoption, at the next Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, a clear mechanism for the rotation of candidatures to ensure that each Member State has a legitimate opportunity to chair the

Assembly of the African Union.”, the communiqué read.  

On the endorsement of Member States’ applications for

international positions, the Authority agreed on the order of priority of the Commissioner

positions for which ECOWAS nationals are still standing for election by the

Assembly of the African Union and made the necessary arbitrations between

Member States putting forward candidates for the same positions.

The Authority also agreed to prioritise support for the candidature of Nigeria to the

post of Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Summit

Present at the Summit were the under-listed ECOWAS Heads of

State or their duly mandated representatives:

H.E. Roch Marc Christian Kabore, President of Burkina Faso

H.E. Jorge Carlos de Almeida Fonseca, President of the Republic of Cabo

Verde

H.E. Alassane Ouattara, President of the Republic of Cote d’lvoire

H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana

H.E. Prof. Alpha Conde, President of the Republic of Guinea

H.E. Umaro Sissoco Embalo, President of the Republic of Guinea Bissau

H.E. Georges Manneh Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia

H.E. Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal

H.E. Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone

H.E. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, President of the Togolese Republic.

H.E. Yemi Osinbajo, Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

H.E. Brigi Rafini, Prime Minister of the Republic of Niger

H.E. Moctar Ouane, Prime Minister of Transition of the Republic of Mali

H.E. Aurélien Agbenonci, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of

Benin.

The session was also attended by H.E. Jean-Claude Kassi Brou,

President of the ECOWAS Commission.