Washington, DC, 12 June 2023 – The United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Central Africa and Head of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (), Abdou Abarry, was in Washington, DC, on Friday, 9 June, to discuss regional dynamics in Central Africa with officials from the United States Government and World Bank.
During the day, he met with Directors at the National Security Council, including Scott Leo, Director for Multilateral Affairs, and Matthew Petit, Director for African Affairs. He also visited the State Department, where he met with: Brian Grimm, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of International Organization Affairs; Amy Holman, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of African Affairs; and Gregory Morrison, Director of the Office of Central African Affairs.
At the World Bank, Mr. Abarry held bilateral meetings with Abdoul Salam Bello, Executive Director of the Africa Group II, and Ousmane Diagana, Vice President for Western and Central Africa, before holding a working lunch with a wider group of World Bank Executive Directors.
UNOCA was created in 2011. Its mandate includes monitoring political developments in Central Africa, carrying out good offices and special assignments on behalf of the Secretary-General, and enhancing sub-regional capacities for conflict prevention and mediation in countries of the sub-region. It supports the initiatives of Central African nations on peace and security and enhances coherence and coordination in the UN’s peace and security work in Central Africa.
