United States Appoints New Envoy to Somalia

United States diplomat James P. McAnulty was appointed as the new envoy to Somalia. The U.S. is financing a war against this Horn of Africa state., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Tuesday, August 13th, 2013 at 05:36 pm

SOMALIA: New Special Representative for Somalia, James P. McAnulty, Takes up Duties

James P. McAnulty takes up duties as Special Representative for Somalia, the United States’ senior policy official on Somalia, starting August 14.

Mr. McAnulty entered the U.S. Foreign Service in October 1983. He has served at U.S. Embassies in Caracas, Venezuela; Mexico City, Mexico (two separate assignments); Nassau, The Bahamas; San Jose, Costa Rica; Nairobi, Kenya; Brussels, Belgium (at the U.S. Mission to the European Union); and, most recently, Abuja, Nigeria, where he served as Counselor for Political Affairs, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim, and Deputy Chief of Mission. He also worked at the State Department in Washington, D.C., on issues involving bilateral relations with Mexico in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs and involving arms control issues in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.

Mr. McAnulty received the State Department’s Warren Christopher Award for Outstanding Performance in Global Affairs in 2002 for his work on behalf of refugees as the Regional Refugee Coordinator at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. He also earned three Senior Foreign Service Performance Pay Awards for his achievements as the Narcotics Affairs Section Director in Mexico City and as Deputy Chief of Mission in Abuja. Mr. McAnulty, who holds the rank of Minister-Counselor, has also received four Superior Honor Awards, including most recently in May 2012, and a Meritorious Honor Award.

Before entering the U.S. Foreign Service, Mr. McAnulty earned a Bachelor of Science degree and a regular commission at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 1977. He served as a U.S. Air Force Officer at assignments in San Angelo, Texas; Berlin, Germany; the Republic of Korea; and Arlington, Virginia.