Former US diplomat James Swan to lead UN peacekeeping mission in DR Congo
US diplomat James Swan is taking over the United Nations MONUSCO mission in DR Congo, Secretary-General António Guterres announced on Thursday.
Swan knows the country well. During his more than 30 year career with the US government, he held a number of roles in Kinshasa, including Ambassador, Deputy Chief of Mission and Desk Officer. He also served as US Ambassador to Djibouti.
More recently, Swan led the UN transitional assistance mission in Somalia.
The MONUSCO mission is aimed at protecting civilians and stabilizing the situation in eastern Congo, where Congolese armed forces have been fighting armed groups for decades.
The region last year saw an escalation in the conflict. Now MONUSCO peacekeepers are currently tasked with monitoring events on the ground with a view to implementing a permanent ceasefire.
Swan succeeds Guinea’s Bintou Keita at MONUSCO, who Guterres thanked for her service during a challenging period for the MONUSCO
