Former head of Senegalese diplomacy Cheikh Tidiane Gadio appointed Francophonie special envoy in Mali

Paris, France (PANA) - The Secretary-General of the International Francophonie Organisation (OIF), Louise Mushikiwabo, Monday appointed Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, former Senegalese minister of foreign affairs, as special envoy for monitoring the situation in Mali, a statement reaching PANA here said.

This is in line with the resolution adopted on 25 August by the 111th extraordinary session of the Francophonie permanent council (CPF) to support the restoration of the democratic institutions in Mali.

It was also intended to contribute to find sustainable and credible solutions to the crisis in Mali.

Gadio, in close collaboration with international partners, mainly the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU), will be in charge of assisting the Francophonie Secretary-General in carrying out the civilian transitional process, the statement said.

The special envoy will over the few days to come chair a high-level mission in Bamako. 

The delegation includes Mrs Nadia El Yousfi, Member of Parliament at the Brussels Parliament and the Parliament of the Wallonie-Brussels Parliament, member of the Office of parliamentary affairs commission of the Francophonie parliamentary assembly (APF), and Moha Ouali Tagma, Morocco’s ambassador to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and ECOWAS in Abuja.

Gadio is currently vice-president of the Senegalese Parliament (since October 2019) and chairs the Pan-African Institute for Peace-Security-Governance Strategy (IPS).

He has a rich experience in diplomacy, having chaired several mediation and facilitation missions, particularly for the African Union, ECOWAS and the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

OIF brings together 88 member-states and government, comprising 54 members, seven associate members and 27 observers.

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