Guterres Appoints Hanna Tetteh as New UN Envoy to Libya

By Staff, Agencies

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres announced on Friday the appointment of Hanna Serwaa Tetteh of Ghana as the new UN special representative for Libya, succeeding Senegal's Abdoulaye Bathily, who stepped down in April.

Tetteh, previously Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs [2013–2017] and Minister for Trade and Industry [2009–2013], has served as Guterres’s special representative to the Horn of Africa for the past two years. She becomes the 10^th person since 2011 to lead the UN Support Mission in Libya [UNSMIL].

Her appointment comes as Libya remains entrenched in political turmoil and conflict, which began with the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi. Bathily, her predecessor, had resigned citing a “lack of political will and good faith” among Libyan leaders, making progress in the region challenging.

Tetteh’s new role requires confirmation by the UN Security Council, given the significance of the position in addressing Libya's prolonged instability.