African Union appoints new envoy to Somalia

 The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, has appointed Ambassador Mohamed El-Amin Soueif as his Special Representative in Somalia and Head of the African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia.

The new envoy, Soueif, was tasked with pursuing security, peace and reconciliation in the country, working with the Somali Federal Government and Somali stakeholders, in addition to implementing the Somali Transition Plan and Somali state building processes.

He will also work closely with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and international partners, including the United Nations (UN), the United Nations Assistance Mission for Somalia (UNSOM) and the European Union.

Faki expressed his deep appreciation to Ambassador Francisco Caetano Jose Madera, whom former Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Rabli expelled from the country on April 7, 2022, considering him persona non grata, after his involvement, according to the statement issued by Robley's office, in matters outside the scope of his duties.

Comorian diplomat and politician Soueif, who served as Comoros Foreign Minister and ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt, was head of the joint mission of the United Nations and the African Union in the Darfur region of Sudan from 2011 to 2015.