FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – A seasoned Senegalese diplomat has been proposed by the United Nations to succeed Colin Stewart as the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Cyprus, according to unconfirmed reports in local media.
The candidate, whose name has not been officially disclosed, is reportedly a close associate of UN Secretary-General António Guterres and has an extensive diplomatic résumé within the UN system.
If appointed, he would become only the second African to hold the post in Cyprus, following Ethiopia’s Tayé-Brook Zerihoun, who served from 2008 to 2010.
Cyprus has reportedly approved the nomination, but the appointment remains pending consent from the Turkish Cypriot side.
Last week, Colin Stewart, in a series of farewell interviews, reflected on his time on the island and assessed the prospects for resolving the Cyprus issue.
He dismissed the notion of a two-state solution as baseless, emphasizing that while people from both communities have shown they can coexist, trust at the leadership level remains elusive.
Stewart also underscored the critical role of the UN peacekeeping force, warning that its absence could lead to serious risk of armed conflict in the buffer zone.
Stewart, a Canadian diplomat, assumed the role in late 2021 and officially stepped down last week, concluding nearly three decades of service with the United Nations.
His posting in Cyprus was his final before retirement.