The Special Envoy for the Sahel concluded her first visit to Chad

DAKAR, Sénégal, October 20, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for the Sahel, Mrs. Hiroute Guebre Sellassie, paid her first official visit to Chad from 15 to 17 October 2014.

During her visit, the Special Envoy met with President Idriss Deby Itno and Chadian authorities and discussed the various challenges facing the Sahel region. In this regard, she welcomed the contribution of Chad to stability in the Sahel, including the deployment of a Chadian contingent to support the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

Mrs. Guebre Sellassie thanked President Deby for his support to the implementation of the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel, and stressed the need to strengthen the coordination between the various strategies and initiatives as well as between regional and International partners working in the Sahel.

"The various strategies and initiatives for the Sahel will benefit to the countries of the region if they are coordinated and are subject to national and regional ownership," she said.

For his part, President Deby expressed his personal support to the Special Envoy in her mission and reiterated the commitment of his country to work with the United Nations.

President Deby and Mrs. Guebre Sellassie agreed on the importance of regional ownership and the need to strengthen the coordination in particular between the G5 and the Ministerial Coordination Platform for the Sahel strategies.

During her visit, Mrs. Guebre Sellassie met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, and the Minister of Economy, Trade and Tourism development, Mr. Aziz Mahamat Saleh.

She also met with the technical and financial partners and the United Nations country team.