New UN Special Representative for Somalia Catriona Laing Arrives in Mogadishu

By: SONNA

Somalia Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism of the Federal Government, Daud Aweis Jama on Monday welcomed Catriona Laing, the new Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia after landing at Aden Abdulle International Airport.

” I am very to be here and look forward to working with national and International Partners in support of the Somali People and Government”, She said.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Catriona Laing of the United Kingdom as his new Special Representative for Somalia and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) on May 3rd, 2023.  She succeeds James Swan of the United States of America, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his dedication and steadfast leadership of UNSOM during his tenure.

Ms. Laing brings to this position over 35 years of experience in diplomacy, development and international relations, including having held United Kingdom government policy roles in various departments at the national and international levels.  Most recently, from November 2018 until April 2023, she served as British High Commissioner to Nigeria.  Prior to that, she was the British Ambassador to Zimbabwe from 2014 until 2018.