Addis Ababa: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced on Friday the appointment of Hanna Serwaa Tetteh of Ghana as the global body’s new envoy to Libya. Tetteh will also serve as head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).
According to Ethiopian News Agency, Tetteh brings decades of experience at national, regional, and international levels. She served as the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa from 2022 until 2024. During her tenure, Tetteh played a key role in addressing regional conflicts and promoting diplomatic solutions.
Tetteh has been Secretary-General Guterres’s special representative to the Horn of Africa for the past two years. In addition, she served as Guterres’ special representative to the African Union and Head of the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU) from 2018 to 2020, where she worked on initiatives to strengthen cooperation between the UN and the African Union.
Before joining the UN, Tetteh was Ghana’s Foreign Minister from 2013 to 2017, where she was involved in foreign policy decisions and international relations strategy. Her extensive diplomatic background is expected to be instrumental in her new role in Libya.
Libya has been in turmoil since 2011, following the ousting of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi after four decades of power. The country is currently divided between two rival administrations: the UN-recognized Government of National Unity led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh in Tripoli, controlling the western part of the country, and the government of Osama Hammad, appointed by the parliament, operating out of Benghazi and governing the eastern region and parts of the south.
Efforts led by the UN to hold parliamentary and presidential elections have faced numerous delays, prolonging the political deadlock and worsening the security situation in the oil-rich nation. Tetteh’s appointment is seen as a significant step towards renewing efforts to stabilize the country and support the political process.