Adviser CMI Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation. Was UK Ambassador to Afghanistan, Sudan, DRC, UN SRSG Somalia, NATO SCR 🇦🇫 & COP26 Amb Africa. Views my own
London, England
Joined March 2009
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A milestone in Somalia’s journey from failed state to fragile state to secure, prosperous and well-governed state. A long road. UN men and women from around the world have walked some of the way with Somalis. Thank you for their service & good luck to all Somalis on road ahead
Somalia turns a page as UN political mission concludes after two decades of partnership
Mogadishu, 31 October 2026 – The two-year transition of the United Nations political mission in Somalia was completed today, in line with the request of the Federal Government of Somalia, bringing to a close more than three decades of United Nations’ sustained engagement supporting peacebuilding, state-building, governance and reconciliation in the country.
The closure of the UN Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) represents the final chapter in a continuum of political support that began with the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) in 1995, continued through the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) from 2013, and entered its final transition phase as UNTMIS in 2024. Under the two-year roadmap for the transition, agreed between Somalia and the United Nations, UNTMIS responsibilities were progressively transferred to Somali institutions, UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes, and the United Nations Support Office for Somalia (UNSOS).
“Today is not an end to the partnership between the United Nations and Somalia—rather, it marks the conclusion of one chapter and the beginning of another,” said UNTMIS’ Officer-in-Charge, the UN Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for Somalia, Raisedon Zenenga.
Read full article: untmis.unmissions.org/en/new…
Perceptive article on closure of UN political mission in #Somalia
The departure of UNTMIS may reduce the continuity of independent political reporting, specialised mediation and coordinated international engagement at a time when constitutional disagreements, relations between the Federal Government and Federal Member States, and electoral arrangements remain central to the country’s stability.
Read more my analysis.
dawan.africa/news/opinion-be…
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I had the pleasure of working with “CD” in Afghanistan from 2019-20. I respected his leadership skills and openness to see beyond just the military aspects of NATO’s mission. His utter professionalism, total commitment and sheer charisma will surely be missed.
In 2019, when General Chris Donahue @CDonahue1792 arrived in Afghanistan, we called him CD the battlefield changed within days in Afghanistan, as we called General Christopher Donahue, he had helped lead the campaigns in Iraq and Syria that broke ISIS’s territorial grip. His leadership, vision, and relentless focus made a decisive difference.
I had the privilege of serving alongside him as JSOC Commander while he led NATO Special Forces in Afghanistan. He was the finest American counterpart I ever worked with—a brother, a comrade, and a leader of continental significance.
His retirement would be a profound loss not only for the U.S. Army, but for America’s military leadership. I respectfully urge @realDonaldTrump to reconsider his removal and instead elevate him to Chief of Staff of the Army.
Leaders of this caliber are exceptionally rare. America needs them now more than ever.
Thank you, my brother, for your extraordinary service and sacrifice. You are a true hero.
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Pleased to take part in this effort to promote importance of security through diplomacy on behalf of Diplomats Without Borders @diplowb with partners @GIFGRF
🔷Our first working group meeting for “𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗗𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗰𝘆” took place in Istanbul on 11–12 March 2026.
Basket I — Rules, Norms, and Values in International Relations brought together diplomats and academics for two days of structured discussion.
🟧The framing question guiding the two days was: 𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙨, 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙞𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙘𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙨? The participants examined the key fault lines undermining the normative foundations of international relations and their concrete implications for diplomacy and crisis management.
This is the first working group meeting of Basket I, part of a series of discussions taking place ahead of the NATO Summit in Ankara (7–8 July). The findings will feed into a public conference in Istanbul, where policy recommendations will be presented and the Summit's outcomes assessed.
@diplowb @timursoylemez @IscanErdogan @NicholasK111 @OsnatLubrani
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“We therefore appeal equally to Kabul and Islamabad to prevent further escalation, avoid actions that risk widening the conflict and urgently resume direct dialogue through established diplomatic channels.” via @diplowb
diplomatswb.org/post/dwb-sta…
Timely reminder that international humanitarian law cannot be wished away theguardian.com/commentisfre…
Ten African Security Trends from 2025 in Graphics africacenter.org/spotlight/2… via @AfricaACSS
Some home truths in this article but it underestimates the challenge of overcoming low levels of trust between political groups.
“Divided politicians risk squandering Sudan’s last chance for peace” via @sudantribune_en sudantribune.com/?p=305350
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An important development that could chart the way to peace, but having sufficient will to convert the words into actions is the challenge
Via @CrisisGroup In Breakthrough, U.S. and Three Arab Powers Agree on Sudan Peace Roadmap crisisgroup.org/africa/sudan… via @crisisgroup
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A sound argument by Jonathan Evans that UK should aim to prevent conflicts around the world - that means not slashing spending on mediation, dialogue, stabilisation, peace building
thetimes.com/article/5c2a121…
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A good summary of the risks of the Sudan conflict evolving into a trans-regional conflict
ispionline.it/en/publication…
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Commentary on today’s London conference on #Sudan linkedin.com/posts/cmioffice…
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Just because the Sudan war is complicated and far from our TV screens, we cannot in all conscience ignore it. linkedin.com/pulse/sudan-can…
@UKinSudan @FCDOGovUK @DavidLammy
@UNReliefChief @UN_Sudan @cmioffice @hdcentre @EUSR_Weber @IGAD_Spokes @NuursViews @_hudsonc @SudanTribune_EN
Check out my latest article: Sudan - can the UK’s progressive realism help? linkedin.com/pulse/sudan-can… via @LinkedIn
Check out my latest article: Sudan - can the UK’s progressive realism help? linkedin.com/pulse/sudan-can… via @LinkedIn
“To recount this history is not simply to explain where Sudan is now. It is to remember this is not where it has to be. Sudan could yet mean more than this militarised vision of imposed unity.”
Timely reminder by Justin Willis theconversation.com/sudan-ci…
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Sudan latest @amnesty report — Sudan: Rapid Support Forces’ horrific and widespread use of sexual violence leaves lives in tatters amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2…
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Returning to Khartoum: In Sudan, civilians try to rebuild their lives after war - Reporters - goo.gl/alerts/vRJLon
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Sudan: UN Human Rights Chief appalled by widespread extrajudicial killings in Khartoum ohchr.org/en/press-releases/…
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