Change of Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Somalia
Mr Neil Wigan has been appointed Her Majesty's non-resident Ambassador to Somalia.
Neil Wigan
He will succeed Mr Matt Baugh, who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Wigan will take up his appointment during June 2013.
Mr Wigan joined the FCO in 2000 and has worked on several countries afflicted by conflict, most recently as Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo for the last three years.
On his appointment as Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Somalia, Mr Wigan has said:
I am delighted and proud to be appointed at this critical moment in Somalia’s history. Somalia has made great political and security progress in recent years, with Al Shabab driven from many major cities, and with a new and legitimate government having taken office.
The UK has played a major role in supporting this progress, demonstrated by the 2013 Somalia Conference in London, chaired jointly by Prime Minister David Cameron and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Many challenges remain, and I look forward to working on them. I also look forward to working in the new British Embassy in Mogadishu, re-opened in April 2013 after being closed for 22 years.
Curriculum vitae
| Full name: | Desmond Patrick Neil Wigan (known as Neil) |
|---|---|
| Married to: | Yael Banaji |
| Children: | Two |
| Dates | Post |
|---|---|
| March 2010 – Present | Kinshasa, Her Majesty’s Ambassador |
| April 2008 – Dec 2009 | Cabinet Office, Deputy Director (Middle East, Americas, Africa, Eurasia and East Asia), Foreign and Defence Policy Secretariat |
| Feb 2006 - April 2008 | FCO, Head of Arab Israel and North Africa Group |
| Aug 2002 – Jan 2006 | Tel Aviv, Head of Political Section |
| Sep 2000 – April 2002 | FCO, Desk Officer, European Union (Internal) Department |
Further information
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