Former ECOWAS Commission chairman dies
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (PANA) - The former chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, Beninese Marcel Alain de Souza (66) died Wednesday in Paris, an official statement issued by the institution and reaching PANA here said.
"The chairman of the ECOWAS, Jean-Claude Kassi BROU, regrets to announce the immediate death of his Excellence Marcel Alain De Souza, former chairman of the ECOWAS Commission on 17 July 2019 in the French capital, Paris," said the statement.
Nominated by Benin at the end of the 48th ordinary session of the Conference of heads of State and government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on 17 December in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, Marcel A. de Souza chaired the sub-regional organisation from 8 April 2016 to 28 February 2018.
The former ECOWAS Commission chairman, who was born on 30 October 1953 in Pobé, Benin, is holder of a Master’s degree of Economic Sciences at Dakar University in Senegal and a Diploma of higher specialized studies (DESS) of Administration and Banking at the West African Center for banking studies and training (COFEB).
He successively occupied the duties of internal controller at the BCEAO main agency in Cotonou, national managing director of BCEAO for Benin, then administrative affairs director at the headquarters of the same financial institution in Dakar.
In Benin, he was Member of Parliament, head of the Department of Economic and Financial affairs at the presidency of the republic, then special advisor in charge of monetary and banking affairs of the president of the republic.
He was also minister of Development, Economic analysis and Perspectives from May 2011 to June 2015.
The ECOWAS Commission offered its condolences to the family of the victim, as well as the Beninese authorities.
-0- PANA TNDD/BEH/MSA/RA 17Jul2019
