MOGADISHU, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Commission (AUC) said Monday it has appointed Fiona Lortan as the deputy special representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission Somalia and deputy Head of Mission.
The pan African body said Lortan who takes a wealth of experience to the position will play an important role in the transition phase of the African Union's commitment to ensuring a stable and secure Somalia.
The African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Bankole Adeoye, underscored the importance of the next few months for AMISOM as the mandate ends on March 31.
"Among many other tasks, she (Lortan) will work to help the African Union to deliver on all that is required to end AMISOM and follow through on ongoing preparations for the mandate, composition, size, and structure of a proposed new mission in Somalia," Adeoye said in a statement issued in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
Lortan, a South African national, joined the AUC in May 2002 and has worked in various roles in ensuring Peace and Security around the continent. She was most recently the acting Director for Conflict Management in the Political Affairs Peace and Security Department (PAPS) and worked assiduously on AMISOM.
Lortan previously worked in Khartoum, Sudan, as a member of the AU High Level Implementation Panel on Sudan and South Sudan, headed by former South Africa President, President Thabo Mbeki. ■