UN chief appoints Thiaw as special advisor for Sahel

UNITED NATIONS, March 21 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday announced the appointment of Ibrahim Thiaw of Mauritania as his special adviser for the Sahel, the northernmost part of sub-Saharan Africa, a vast belt stretching from the Atlantic coast to the Red Sea.

Thiaw will support Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Guterres' special representative and head of the UN office for West Africa and the Sahel, in ongoing efforts to advance the recalibration of the UN strategy for the Sahel and the emerging Sahel Support Plan, said Stephane Dujarric.

The United Nations is finding a way to better support a joint military force of five countries in the region (G5 Sahel): Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. The G5 Sahel force, which was established to fight terrorism in the region, also wins substantial support from France.

Thiaw currently serves as assistant secretary-general and deputy chief of the UN Environment Programme. He has almost 40 years of experience in sustainable development, environmental governance and natural resource management. Enditem