James C. Swan

Swan was born on 10 December 1963 in Washington, D.C.{{fact|date=April 2021}}

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, a Master of Arts from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, and a Master of Arts in National Security Studies from the US National War College, where he was a 2005 distinguished graduate.

Prior to assuming his role with the United Nations in Somalia, Swan had a nearly three-decade career with the US Foreign Service. Most of this diplomatic work focused on African countries.{{fact|date=April 2021}}  

In his bilateral diplomatic career, Swan held positions related to Somalia and the Horn of Africa. These include US Special Representative for Somalia (2011-2013), Ambassador to Djibouti (2008-2011), Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East and Central Africa (2006-2008), Africa Director in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (2005-2006), and Political Officer in the Office of the Special Envoy for Somalia (1994-1996).{{fact|date=April 2021}}  

He also served as the US ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2013-2016),{{cite web|url=http://www.allgov.com/news/appointments-and-resignations/ambassador-to-democratic-republic-of-congo-who-is-james-swan-130921?news=851193|title=Ambassador to Democratic Republic of Congo: Who Is James Swan?|publisher=}}[https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/111122.htm Official Biography], state.gov; accessed March 26, 2018. in addition to prior staff assignments in the Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Nicaragua, and Haiti.{{Cite web|title=Swan, James C.|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/111122.htm|access-date=2020-09-15|website=U.S. Department of State}}

File:UN envoy James Swan Meeting with Minister of Women and Human Rights Development Her Excellency, Haniifa Mohamed Ibrahim - 26 January 2021 (50877596411).jpg on 26 January 2021]]

UN Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Swan to lead the UN team in Somalia on May 30, 2019.{{Cite web|title=Secretary-General Appoints James Swan of United States Special Representative, Head of United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia {{!}} Meetings Coverage and Press Releases|url=https://www.un.org/press/en/2019/sga1877.doc.htm|access-date=2021-04-25|website=www.un.org}}{{Cite web|date=2019-06-06|title=Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia|url=https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/profiles/james-swan|access-date=2021-04-25|website=United Nations Secretary-General|language=en}} He was responsible for UN operations in Somalia, including two UN missions and 23 agencies, funds, and programmes that together had approximately 2,000 national and international staff and an operating budget around $2 billion.{{Cite web |date= 13 March 2015|title=Leadership |url=https://unsom.unmissions.org/leadership |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220215203859/https://unsom.unmissions.org/leadership |archive-date=2022-02-15 |access-date=2022-02-01 |website=United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia |language=en}}

Swan served concurrently as the Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM). This UN special political mission operates under a UN Security Council mandate to support Somali institutions, strengthen Somali coordination with international partners in the security sector, help Somalis advance in reconciliation and democratic governance, and promote the rule of law and human rights.{{cite web |title=UNSOM mandate |url=https://unsom.unmissions.org/mandate |publisher=United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs |access-date=28 January 2024}}

On 24 July 2019, a female suicide bomber entered and blew herself up inside Mogadishu Mayor Abdirahmean Omar Osman's office, killing six government officials and injuring nine of Osman's staff. Swan was the target of the attack, but Swan had met the mayor earlier and departed prior to the blast. Osman was critically wounded in the attack and succumbed to his injuries a week later, on 1 August 2019, after having been transported to and hospitalised in Doha, Qatar. The attack was claimed by Al-Shabaab.{{Cite news|date=2019-07-24|title=Suicide bomber kills six in attack on Mogadishu mayor's office|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-49100440|access-date=2021-10-01}}

{{reflist}}

• https://www.c-span.org/person/?jamesswan
• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkOz-aOunRwQyj800bNAuig/videos
• http://webtv.un.org/search?term=%22james+swan%22&cat=Meetings%2FEvents&sort=date
• {{C-SPAN|1026981}}

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{{s-bef|before=Stuart Symington}}

{{s-ttl|title=United States Ambassador to Djibouti|years=2008–2011}}

{{s-aft|after=Geeta Pasi}}

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{{s-bef|before=James Entwistle}}

{{s-ttl|title=United States Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo|years=2013–2018}}

{{s-aft|after=Michael Hammer}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Swan, James Christopher}}

Category:1963 births

Category:Living people

Category:Ambassadors of the United States to Djibouti

Category:Ambassadors of the United States to the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Category:Walsh School of Foreign Service alumni

Category:National Defense University alumni

Category:Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies alumni

Category:People from San Diego County, California

Category:United States Foreign Service personnel