United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Leonardo Santos Simão of Mozambique as his new Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), and Chairman of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission.   
 
Mr. Simão succeeds Mr. Annadif Khatir Mahamat Saleh.  The Secretary-General is grateful to Mr. Annadif for his dedication and leadership of UNOWAS and of the Mixed Commission.   
 
Mr. Simão brings to this position more than 30 years of experience in public administration and international affairs.  From 2021 to 2022, he was Special Envoy for the Government of Mozambique.  Mr. Simão served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation from 1994 to 2005 and as Minister of Health from 1988 to 1994.  From 2009 to 2014, he was the Chairman of the Peace Mediation Technical Team for Madagascar of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).  Mr. Simão was also Executive Director of the Joaquim Chissano Foundation (Mozambique) and Chairman of several boards and committees. 
 
Mr. Simão holds a Master’s degree in public health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom.  He is fluent in English, French and Portuguese.