Senegal is again at the heart of the West African diplomatic game. The election of Bassirou Diomaye Faye to the current presidency of ECOWAS, as well as the forthcoming appointment of General Birame Diop as head of the Commission of the regional organization, place Dakar in a strategic position at a time when West Africa is undergoing a profound restructuring. This dual Senegalese presence comes after the departure of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger from ECOWAS and the rise of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). The challenge for Dakar is now clear: to restore regional dialogue without abandoning the West African integration objective. Dakar, again Mediator This new influence is already beyond the Community institutions. ECOWAS has entrusted Senegal with a mediation mission to Guinea-Bissau, where a political transition is under way. Senegalese Minister of African Integration and Foreign Affairs, Sheikh...