United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres announced James Swan will be his special envoy for Somalia and head of the UN Mission in Somalia, abbreviated as UNSOM.
Read: James Swan has been appointed as the United Nations envoy to Somalia
Ambassador James Swan’s tenure is temporary. The American, who previously held this position, replaces Catriona Laing.
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The woman who left the job is said to be very articulate but not very technical. Antonio Guterres thanked her for the good work she did in Somalia.
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James Swan is a distinguished diplomat in African affairs. From 2019 to 2022, he was the United Nations Special Envoy for Somalia and the head of the UNSOM office.
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He previously served as the US Ambassador to DR Congo from 2013 to 2016 and as the US Ambassador to Djibouti from 2008 to 2011.
Read: Somalia’s president Hassan Sheikh history of corruption 2012-2017
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James Swan is widely praised for managing transitions. He is returning to Somalia under the presidency of Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud, one of the politicians who heard the most complaints between 2019 and 2022.
Read: World Bank sent a strong warning to Somalia president Hassan Sheikh for corruption
Hassan Sheikh and James Swan know each other well. Many times, the opposition of Hassan Sheikh shared with James Swan that Farmajo does not want elections, that he is dividing the country, that he is aggressive against Puntland and Jubaland and that he is a dictator.
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This time we see Hassan Sheikh who is in conflict with Puntland and Swan. Hassan Sheikh who is being accused of plotting his own election with Swan. Hassan Sheikh who is accused of corruption who is accused of dictatorship and trampling on the constitution and James Swan is the man who will stop him.
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Of course, there was the opposition that accompanied Hassan Sheikh such as; Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, Hassan Ali Khaire and Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame. Hassan Sheikh, who will sit in front of the new UN envoy to Somalia James Swan and they know each other well.
At the stage that President Hassan Sheikh is in today, it is not good for Hassan Sheikh to have such a strong representative who understands the issues of Somalia and knows where the eyes of the Somali leaders end.
James Swan’s return to Somalia also comes at a time when the federal government of Somalia has demanded the closure of the United Nations Office for Somalia (UNSOM), which has yet to be answered.
Also, this nomination comes at a time when the political conflict in Somalia is strong, there has been no war against terrorism for eight months, and corruption is rampant, and there are concerns about the nature of the upcoming elections.