MEDIA NOTE

OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON

MAY 30, 2023

Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa (SEHOA) Ambassador Mike Hammer will travel May 31 – June 6 to Djibouti and Ethiopia. In Djibouti, Ambassador Hammer will participate in the East Africa Security Forum hosted by the United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM) and the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) to coordinate efforts on crisis response, and countering security threats. He will also meet Djiboutian government officials to discuss bilateral cooperation and regional issues in the Horn, as well as Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Executive Secretary Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu to review IGAD’s recent engagement and activities.

In Ethiopia, Ambassador Hammer will meet African Union officials on implementation of the November 2, 2022 Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA). He will discuss progress and priorities—including transitional justice and accountability efforts, as well as disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration programming—with Ethiopian government officials in Addis Ababa and with the Tigray Interim Regional Administration in Mekele.