Leonardo Santos Simão, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, is conducting an official visit to Burkina Faso from 21 to 24 May 2025.
The visit is part of his mandate as UN Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS).
While in Ouagadougou, Simão is scheduled to meet with top Burkinabè officials, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to assess the country’s security and humanitarian situation.
His itinerary also includes meetings with members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), civil society actors, and UN field teams, according to a press release from the Burkinabè Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Before arriving in Burkina Faso, Simão visited Niamey, Niger, where he reaffirmed the United Nations’ support for the country’s national priorities in governance, economic development, social cohesion, and security.
HO/te/lb/as/APA