24th November, 2015; United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon appointed Uganda born Briton Michael Keating as the special envoy to UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM).
Keating is set to replace the current envoy Nicholas Kay whose tenure ends in December. Until his appointment he was an associate director with Chatham House a British think tank and has previously served with the UN in different capacities.
Keating brings a vast sea of knowledge especially on matters terrorism and peace-building as he served as a Senior Adviser to the Secretary General’s Special Envoy to Syria since 2012. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as a Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan.
His appointment precedes the increased involvement of the UN mission in Somalia to not being limited to the AMISOM troops. He also has policy-making experience which is very crucial as Somalia enter its election year next year.
Keating was born in Uganda in 1959 and spent most of his childhood in the East African countries of Uganda, Kenya and Somalia.
