Suldaan Said Ahmed appointed as Foreign Minister’s Special Envoy on Peace Mediation in the Horn of Africa

On 23 January 2024, Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen appointed Suldaan Said Ahmed as her Special Envoy on Peace Mediation in the Horn of Africa. In his role as the Foreign Minister’s Special Envoy, Said Ahmed will focus on supporting peace processes.

Suldaan Said Ahmed served as Special Envoy on Peace Mediation in the Horn of Africa also in 2022–2023, appointed by Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto.

Finland has long-standing bilateral relations with several countries in the Horn of Africa. The challenges faced by the fragile region include several political and armed conflicts, in addition to which the region suffers from the worst drought in decades.

Peace Mediation is one of the priorities in Finland's foreign and security policy. “Resolving conflicts peacefully has always been an aim of Finnish foreign policy. Said Ahmed’s extensive networks are a great asset in our work for stability in the region” says Minister for Foreign Affairs Valtonen. 
 
The appointment is a personal position of trust that Said Ahmed will carry out alongside his paid employment and duties as a city councillor. 

Inquiries

  • Eemil Nuuttila, Special Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 295 351 066
  • Katja Ahlfors, Director, Centre for Peace Mediation, +358 295 350 151
  • Jukka Pajarinen, Director, Unit for the Horn of Africa and Eastern Africa, tel. +358 295 350 848 
  • The email addresses of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs are in the format firstname.lastname@gov.fi