I’ve been asked about theappointment of the new envoy for the Great Lakes region — you may recall that on 22 January, the Secretary-General announced the appointment of Ambassador Huang Xia of the People's Republic of China as his Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region.  Mr. Xia will assume the position of Special Envoy on 1 April 2019.

The Secretary-General reiterates his deep gratitude to his outgoing Special Envoy, Said Djinnit, for his distinguished service in West Africa and the Great Lakes region, respectively, over the past eleven years.  During that period, Ambassador Djinnit worked closely with the African Union, as well as regional organisations and mechanisms, to tackle complex peace and security challenges on the continent.

The Secretary-General particularly appreciates Mr. Djinnit's efforts to advance the implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region.