By Lamin Cham
Former Gambian foreign minister, Dr Mamadou Tangara, has, on November 17, officially assumed office as the new Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and Head of the AU Mission for Mali and the Sahel (MISAHEL).
At a ceremony in Bamako, where he will be based, Tangara presented his letters of credence to Mali’s foreign minister, Abdoulaye Diop.
During the ceremony, Dr Tangara reaffirmed the African Union’s commitment to being part of the solution in Mali and pledged to strengthen the partnership between the AU and Mali, address current challenges, and uphold the principles and interests of the Malian people, a nation to which he expressed deep personal attachment.
The discussion between the two leaders also touched on enhancing cooperation between Mali and the African Union, with particular attention to the evolving paradigm of national partnerships and the broader confederal dimension shaped by new geopolitical realities in the sub-region.
Welcoming the constructive dialogue initiated by the new AU leadership, Minister Diop reiterated Mali’s unwavering commitment to Pan-Africanism, and emphasised the importance of partners taking into account Mali’s realities and stressed the need for sincere, frank and constructive dialogue to reinforce African solidarity in the face of global challenges confronting the region.
Dr Tangara brings a wealth of experience to his new role. He served as The Gambia’s Foreign Minister from 2018 to 2025, following a distinguished seven-year tenure as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of The Gambia to the United Nations in New York. He has held several ministerial positions in The Gambia and previously worked with the European Union in Brussels. Notably, in 2019 he was recognised and awarded by the United Nations for his outstanding contributions during The Gambia’s democratic transition.
