Former Nigerian President Appointed AU Special Envoy for Horn of Africa

 Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has appointed former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo as the organization's special envoy for the Horn of Africa region, the AU announced in a press release.

"The Chairperson of the African Union Commission ... has appointed Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, [as special envoy] to support the efforts of the AU Commission aimed at ensuring peace and stability in the Horn of Africa," the statement read.

The special envoy will engage with all relevant parties to ensure peace in the region. According to Faki, the former Nigerian president "will bring to this mission his unparalleled experience and high authority."

"The Chairperson of the AU Commission expressed deep gratitude to President Obasanjo for accepting this responsibility and reaffirmed the African Union's unwavering commitment to the cause of maintaining sustainable peace in the [Horn of Africa] region," the release stated.

In March, Faki appointed former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete as the AU's high representative for the Horn of Africa and Red Sea region.

In 2025, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) appointed Obasanjo as a mediator to resolve the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.