Wednesday May 15, 2024
Mogadishu (HOL) - United Nations Secretary-General António
Guterres has appointed James Swan as the Acting Special Representative for
Somalia and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM).
According to a statement from the United Nations released on
Tuesday night, Mr. Swan will serve as the Special Representative for a
temporary period following the departure of Catriona Laing of the United
Kingdom. The Secretary-General expressed gratitude for her dedicated service in
UNSOM and Somalia during a challenging time.
Earlier this month, when Catriona Laing announced her
departure after a year-long tenure, the Somali government called for the
dissolution of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) when
its mandate expires in October 2024.
In a detailed letter to the UN Security Council, Somali
Foreign Minister Ahmed Mali Fiqi articulated the government's position,
suggesting that the change is overdue. "We believe that it is now
appropriate to transition to the next phase of our partnership," Fiqi
wrote, advocating for the swift conclusion of procedures to terminate the
mission by the mandate's end.
The newly designated envoy, Mr. Swan, served as the Special
Representative for Somalia and Head of UNSOM from 2019 to 2022. Prior to that,
he served in the United States Government as Ambassador to the Democratic
Republic of the Congo from 2013 to 2016, Special Representative for Somalia
from 2011 to 2013, and Ambassador to Djibouti from 2008 to 2011. He is an
experienced diplomat with a long career in African countries facing complex
political transitions.
In his earlier career, Mr. Swan was Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State for African Affairs from 2006 to 2008, and Director of
African Analysis in the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research
from 2005 to 2006. Prior to holding these assignments, Mr. Swan held various
assignments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Congo,
Somalia, Cameroon, Nicaragua and Haiti.
Mr. Swan holds a B.Sc. degree from Georgetown University’s
School of Foreign Service, an M.A. from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced
International Studies, and a Master’s degree in Security Studies from the
National War College, all in the United States. He is fluent in English and
French.