Swearing in of Amb. Smail Chergui, as Newly elected Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union

Addis Ababa, 12 October 2013 – The newly elected Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union, Ambassador Smail Chergui from Algeria, was sworn in today 12 October 2013, in replacement of Ambassador Ramtane Lamamra, who was appointed as the Foreign Minister of Algeria on 11 September 2013.

The ceremony took place during the Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government in the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in the presence of the Chairperson of the African Union, Mr. Hailemariam Dessalegn Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Chairperson of the African Union and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.

The Asssembly congratulated Ambassador Chergui for his election and wished him success in the discharge of his new responsibilities. They also reiterated their profound appreciation to his predecessor, Ambassador, Ramtane Lamamra, for his outstanding service to the AU Commission.

Worth noting that Commissioner Smail Chergui was Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Algeria to Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti from 1997 to 2004. During the same period he served as the Permanent Representative of Algeria to the Organisation of African Union (OAU), then the African Union (AU) and to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).