Appointment of James Swan as Acting Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for Somalia

Appointment of James Swan as Acting Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for Somalia

 On Tuesday, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appointed James Swan as his acting special envoy for Somalia and head of the United Nations Somalia Assistance Office. James Swan assumes this position on an interim basis, following the end of the term of the previous Envoy, Catriona Laing, to whom the Secretary-General thanked for her work in the UN mission office.

James Swan is an American diplomat with extensive knowledge of African politics, and previously served as the United Nations Secretary-General's Representative to Somalia from 2019 to 2022. He also served as the United States Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, from 2013 to 2016, and was the United States Special Representative to Somalia from 2019 to 2022. 2011 to 2013.

James Swan held various positions in the US State Department, including the position of Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from 2006 to 2008. This comes at a time when the Somali Federal Government requested that the mission of the United Nations Mission in Somalia be changed from a political mission to a country team. An affiliate of the United Nations that focuses on sustainable development and enhancing security.