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A former US special envoy to Somalia who was also Washington's ambbadador to the Democratic Republic of Congo was appointed to become the next UN envoy to Somalia, replacing an envoy expelled four months ago.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council in a letter issued Thursday that he was planning to appoint James Swan as the special envoy for Somalia.
Swan, who was also US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa and ambbadador to Djibouti, will replace Nicholas Haysom, declared persona non grata by the Somali government in January after raising human rights concerns. .
The appointment of Swan should be supported by the council, diplomats said.
Haysom, an experienced South African lawyer and diplomat, was asked to leave Somalia after questioning the government's decision to arrest an al-Shabaab defector who ran for office.
He held the position for three months.
The United Nations is seeking to strengthen stability in Somalia, where al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab fighters have been fighting for a decade to overthrow the government.
Last week, a former Somali foreign minister was among five people who were killed in a car bomb attack in the capital, Mogadishu, claimed by Shabaab.
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