Event:
The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, on October 7th appointed Ambassador Francisco Caetano Jose Madeira from Mozambique as her Special Representative for Somalia and the head of AMISOM.
Ambassador Madeira replaces Ambassador Maman Sambo Sidikou of Niger who has held the same position for the last one year.
Analysis:
Ambassador Francisco Caetano Jose Madeira from Mozambique was on October 7th appointed as the new head for AMISOM as well the Special Representative for Somalia by the African Union Commission chairperson Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. He replaces Ambassador Maman Sambo Sidikou of Niger who has held the position for the past year.
Prior to his appointment Madeira he served as the AU Special Representative for Counter-Terrorism Cooperation and the Director of the Algiers-based African Centre on the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT) since 2010. The seasoned diplomat between November 2011 and July 2014 was the Special Envoy for the issues of the Lord’s Resistance Army a post he held concurrently with the herein mentioned position.
He has vast experience in peacekeeping missions as he has served as special envoy to peace mission as a key negotiator in crises like, Sao Tome and Principe, Burundi negotiations in Arusha, South Sudan and Comoros.
AMISOM under the leadership of Sidikou have recorded historical gains and victories over the militants notably, the recapture of key al Shabaab’s resource bases in South-Central Somalia like the coastal town of Barawe and Bardhere among others.
Conclusion:
Madeira’s appointment to AMISOM is a very crucial and strategic especially as Somalia prepares to go to elections in 2016 as his prowess and experience will provide much need guidance towards the implementation of the Vision 2016 for Somalia.
His vast know-how in counter-terrorism will input new and freshly intensified strategy on how to neutralize the Al Shabaab militants building up to the final eradication of the Islamists in Somalia.
