The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has approved new appointments to its strategic statutory positions and specialised institutions for 2026 to 2030.

This was announced in a communique on Tuesday at the end of the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Lungi, Sierra Leone.

The new appointments include five commissioners for the ECOWAS Commission, five judges for the ECOWAS Court of Justice, the Auditor-General of ECOWAS institutions and the director-general of the West African Health Organisation (WAHO).

“The Authority endorses the recommendations from the 96th Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers relating to statutory appointments to positions in Community Institutions for the period 2026–2030,” it said.

The new judges of the ECOWAS Court are Awa Bah (The Gambia); Charlyne Brumskine (Liberia); Désiré Aihou (Benin); Henrietta Didigu (Nigeria); and the current chief registrar of the ECOWAS Court, Yaouza Ouro-Sama (Togo).

It said that the regional leaders also approved the appointment of five new commissioners to replace the outgoing commissioners at the ECOWAS Commission, whose tenures are due to elapse soon.

The new commissioners are Francess Alghali (Sierra Leone), commissioner for political affairs, peace and security; Dehpue Zuo (Liberia), Economic Affairs and Agriculture; and Kalilou Sylla (Ivory Coast), Internal Services. Others are Amin Suleiman (Ghana), commissioner for infrastructure, energy and digitalisation; and Nassirou Bako-Arifari (Benin), human development and social affairs.

Also appointed are Carla Bettencourt (Cape Verde), auditor-general for ECOWAS institutions; Palokinam Pitche (Togo), director-general, West African Health Organisation; Mam Jallow (The Gambia), director-general, Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa.

The communique disclosed that the organisation accepted Nigeria’s request for an additional two weeks to review and resolve the ECOWAS vice-president position allocated to the country.

While expressing profound appreciation to the outgoing president of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, for his distinguished service to the community, the organisation welcomed his successor, Birame Diop of Senegal.

(NAN)