Special Envoy for the African Great Lakes and Head of Southern and Central Africa Department

Alison Thorpe

Biography

Alison Thorpe took up the role of Special Envoy for the African Great Lakes and Head of Southern and Central Africa Department of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) in August 2022.

Alison joined the Foreign Office in 1996, after completing a degree in Scandinavian Studies from the University of Hull and a Masters in Diplomatic Studies from the University of Westminster.

Previous roles

April to August 2022 Transformation Director, FCDO
June 2019 to April 2022 Deputy Director Change and Engagement, Transformation Team
September 2019 to June 2020 Deputy Director/Senior Responsible Officer for the £150 million Global Trade Prosperity Fund Programme
April 2018 to September 2019 Head of the Cross Whitehall Joint Africa Unit
September 2014 to April 2018 Head of Africa Strategy and Network Unit
January 2010 to August 2014 Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Political Section, British Embassy Stockholm
June 2006 to Aug 2009 Deputy Head of Mission, British Embassy Skopje
January to September 2005 Head of Al Qaeda, Middle East and Africa Section, Counter Terrorism Department
January 2003 to December 2004 Assistant Private Secretary to Mr O’Brien/Mr Alexander (Minister for the Middle East and later Minister of Trade)
January 2002 to December 2002 Private Secretary to the Political Director
August 1998 to October 2001 Third Secretary Political, British Embassy Beirut

Special Envoy for the African Great Lakes and Head of Southern and Central Africa Department

Special envoys use their expertise to develop a greater coherent effort in making sure that the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) works closely and effectively with foreign powers.

The Special Envoy for the African Great Lakes supports international efforts to secure a durable and peaceful resolution to conflicts in the region, and build confidence within the region to break the cycles of conflict. They work alongside envoys from the African Union, United Nations, United States, the European External Action Service and from other European States with interests in the region. Collectively, they lead the international community’s efforts, working together with the countries in the region and regional organizations, to address the structural causes of instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the region.

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Previous roles in government

  • Deputy Head of Mission, Sweden