Monday June 5, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - Catriona Laing, the new Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Somalia, arrived in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, today.
Laing, who was
recently appointed by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, was warmly received at the Aden Adde Airport. Among those welcoming her were Daoud Aweys Jama, the Minister of Culture, Information, and Tourism, the Permanent Secretary of the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Deputy Representative of the United Nations, and other senior government officials.
Laing is a senior British diplomat who recently served as British High Commissioner to Nigeria and British Ambassador to Zimbabwe. She assumed this position last month, succeeding James Swan, the previous United Nations Representative in Somalia, who hails from the United States.
"I am thrilled to be here, and I eagerly anticipate working with national and international partners who support the Somali people and government," said Laing.
Laing will soon present her credentials to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. She expressed her gratitude for the warm reception she received upon her arrival at the Mogadishu airport.