From 25 May to 2 June 2016, the Special Representative of the Secretary General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Mohamed Ibn Chambas, will undertake a visit to the five countries of the G5 Sahel (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger).

This will be his first visit since the establishment of UNOWAS following the merger of the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA) and the Office of the Special Envoy for the Sahel (OSES), in January 28, 2016. This mission expresses the United Nations commitment to support countries of the Sahel region in the effective implementation of the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS).

Mr. Ibn Chambas will meet national authorities of the G5 Sahel countries, representatives of diplomatic corps accredited in the respective countries, as well as officials from the United Nations system.

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA).