Mogadishu, Somalia—Ambassador El Hadji Ibrahima Diene “Boly” has officially assumed his role as the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia and Head of AUSSOM.

He arrived in Mogadishu 28 July and was received at Aden Abdulle International Airport by senior officials from both AUSSOM and the Federal Government of Somalia. Dignitaries present included Somalia’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ishaq Mahmoud Mursal; Deputy SRCC Ambassador Mouktar Osman Karie; AUSSOM Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Sam Kavuma; Acting Police Commissioner, ACP Samuel Osiedu Okanta; and Head of the Protection, Human Rights and Gender Division, Dr. Omar Abdulle Alasow.

Ambassador Diene brings a wealth of experience to the role, having held various tactical, operational, and strategic positions within and outside Senegal. His extensive experience covers conflict and crisis settings in West, Central, and East Africa, including active participation in peacekeeping missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Syria and Mali but also in special political missions like UNOCA.

He holds several master’s degrees and diplomas in military studies, political science, aeronautics, and programme management.

Source: AU