Said Djinnit takes up office as new UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region

21 August 2014 - The UN Secretary-General announced in July 2014 the appointment of Said Djinnit of Algeria as his new Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, succeeding Mary Robinson of Ireland, who took the responsibilities of UN Special Envoy for Climate Change.

The UN Secretary-General announced in July 2014 the appointment of Said Djinnit of Algeria as his new Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, succeeding Mary Robinson of Ireland, who took the responsibilities of UN Special Envoy for Climate Change.

In his new capacity, Mr. Djinnit will be focusing on working with stakeholders in the region and international partners on the implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation (PSC) Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region. Immediately following his appointment, Mr. Djinnit embarked on a series of trips to the different capitals of the Great Lakes region in order to engage leaders and other stakeholders on the PSC Framework and the implementation of his mandates.

Mr. Djinnit started his journey with a courtesy call to the Kenyan authorities last month. “As soon as I received my appointment, I thought it would be appropriate to come and introduce myself to you, and seek your partnership and support for the implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework agreement,” Mr. Djinnit told Deputy President William Ruto in Nairobi on 22 August. “I would like to build on the achievements of my predecessor, Mary Robinson, and promote a strong partnership around the Framework agreement also known as ‘Framework of Hope’”.

The Special Envoy, then travelled to Addis Ababa, and met with the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. Their discussions focused on ways to provide greater support to the efforts of the countries of the region, and the implementation of the PSC Framework.

On 29 August, the Special Envoy met with President Joseph Kabila of the DRC and a whole range of national dignitaries to discuss the ongoing challenges facing the region, especially the FDLR disarmament, the repatriation of former M23 combatants from Uganda and Rwanda, and the need to sustain momentum around the implementation of the PSC Framework.

Mr. Djinnit also intends to travel in the coming days and weeks to the capitals of other signatory countries of the PSC Framework, where he will meet with the respective authorities and regional representatives.

Prior to his appointment as Special Envoy for the Great Lakes, Mr. Djinnit served as Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA).

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.

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