Mogadishu (Dawan Africa) – The African Union has formally appointed El Hadji Ibrahima Diene “Boly” as the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) to Somalia and the Head of the African Union Support Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
In a statement issued by AUSSOM: “El Hadji Ibrahima Diene ‘Boly’ has officially assumed his duties as the Special Representative of the AU Commission Chairperson to Somalia and Head of AUSSOM.”
Diene Boly succeeds Souef Mohamed El-Amine, who was appointed in March 2025 as Chief of Staff in the Office of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.
Diene arrived in Mogadishu on Monday and was warmly received at Aden Abdulle International Airport by senior officials from both AUSSOM and the Federal Government of Somalia. Welcoming officials included Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ishaq Mohamed Mursal, Deputy SRCC and AUSSOM representative Mukhtar Osman Karie, and senior AUSSOM military commanders.
Having now officially begun his tenure, Diene Boly takes on a central leadership role in the AU’s support for Somalia’s stabilization and security efforts. Diene brings with him extensive expertise in peace operations, conflict management, and regional security affairs.
He has held high-level roles in Senegal and participated in international peacekeeping missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, and Mali. He also possesses diplomatic and political experience, including service with the United Nations Office for Central Africa (UNOCA).
Diene’s arrival signals renewed momentum in the African Union’s efforts to support Somalia’s security transition, amid the ongoing transition from ATMIS to AUSSOM.
