James Swan was appointed as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of Mission for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) on 30 May 2019.
Mr. Swan, a career diplomat, is a national of the United States. He spent most of his career in African countries facing complex political transitions. He served as Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2013 to 2016, US Special Representative for Somalia from 2011 to 2013, and Ambassador to Djibouti from 2008 to 2011.
In his earlier career, Mr. Swan served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from 2006 to 2008, and Director of African Analysis in the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research from 2005 to 2006. His first assignment to Somalia was 25 years ago when he served as a political officer in the Office of the U.S. Special Envoy for Somalia from 1994 to 1996.
Mr. Swan has also held various assignments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Nicaragua and Haiti.
Mr. Swan holds a B.Sc. degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, an M.A. from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and a Master’s degree in Security Studies from the National War College.
