Ambassador Francisco Caetano Jose Madeira has formally assumed office today as the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC), for Somalia and Head of AMISOM. He takes over from his predecessor Ambassador Maman Sambo Sidikou.
“I take over as the head of AMISOM at a critical point in the history of Somalia, when the country is entering a rigorous political phase, with elections planned next year. Our priority will be to ensure, that together with Somali security forces, we provide a secure environment conducive for statebuilding. I commend my predecessor Ambassador Maman Sidikou, the entire team at AMISOM, the Federal Government and other partners for the massive achievements already made in stabilizing Somalia, and look forward to working with all to make even bigger strides,” said Ambassador Madeira on his arrival in Mogadishu.
Given his experience in diplomacy, counter-terrorism as well as in peace and reconciliation initiatives across the continent, Ambassador Madeira is expected to lead in building on the tremendous achievements made by AMISOM on both the political and Security fronts over the past few years.
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Notes to Editors :
Ambassador Francisco Madeira was born on 4 April 1954, in Beira, Mozambique. He is a career diplomat who served as the AU Special Representative for Counter-Terrorism Co-operation and Director of the Algiers-based African Centre on the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT), a post he held concurrently with that of Special Envoy for the issue of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), from November 2011 to July 2014.
He served as Ambassador of Mozambique to several African countries, from 1984 to 1989, and diplomatic advisor at the presidency. He was a member of the Government delegation to the peace negotiations with RENAMO, which resulted in the signing of the August 1992 Rome General Peace Agreement for Mozambique. He held ministerial portfolios, having been, from 1995 to 1999, Minister in the President’s Office for Parliamentary Affairs and, from 2000 to 2010, Minister in the President’s Office for Diplomatic Affairs. He has contributed to several peace processes on the continent. In particular, he was the Special Representative of the Mozambican Government to the Great Lakes Region; member of former Presidents Julius Nyerere and Nelson Mandela facilitation teams in the Arusha Peace Negotiations on Burundi (1997 – 2000); Special Envoy of the AU Chairperson (former President Joachim Chissano of Mozambique) to Sao Tome and Principe, following the July 2003 coup d’Etat; member of the Southern Sudan facilitation team in the negotiations with the LRA; and OAU/AU Special Envoy for the Comoros (1999 to 2010). He is a holder of a Diploma in International Relations at the Center for Foreign Relations in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania, and a Law Degree at the University of Eduardo Mondlane in Maputo, Mozambique. He has been member of the National Parliament of Mozambique from January 2005 to January 2010.Ambassador Madeira was appointed AU Special Representative for Somalia and Head of AMISOM by the AU Commission Chairperson Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma on 7 October 2015.
