WASHINGTON, DC - South Africa has a new Ambassador in Washington, DC. He is Mr. Welile Nhlapo who took over from former Ambassador Barbara Masekela as Ambassador to the United States. Ambassador. Nhlapo is a seasoned diplomat, who, before his current appointment, served as South Africa’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the Organization of African Unity and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa since 1995. During his term in Addis Ababa, he also served as South Africa’s Non-Resident Ambassador to Djibouti, Eritrea and Sudan. In 1997 he was appointed as South Africa’s Special Envoy on Burundi. (click here)

Lila Hanitra Ratsifandrihamanana of Madagascar today presented her letter of appointment to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan as the new Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations.  (click here)