Ban appoints Algerian diplomat Said Djinnit as envoy for Great Lakes region

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced that he has appointed Said Djinnit of Algeria as his special envoy for the Great Lakes region of Africa tasked with bringing international awareness to the area’s challenges.

Mr. Djinnit succeeds Mary Robinson of Ireland, who earlier this week accepted new responsibilities as the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Climate Change, said the announcement from Mr. Ban’s office.

In his new role, one of Mr. Djinnit’s responsibilities will be drawing attention to the continuing insecurity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where continued fighting and a decrease in financial resources is causing millions of people to go hungry.

Most recently, Mr. Djinnit served as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA). He also served as the High-Level Representative of the Secretary-General to Nigeria, in support of efforts against Boko Haram.

Mr. Djinnit previously served as the first African Union (AU) Commissioner for Peace and Security, after holding various positions in the Organization of African Unity (OAU), including as Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs.

He has also worked in various diplomatic missions of his home country, including in Belgium and Ethiopia.