On 23 May, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) to the African Union (AU) and Head of UNOAU paid a courtesy call on the Ambassador of Turkey to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the AU, Ambassador Berk Baran, who assumed his duties in Ethiopia in March 2023.

The SRSG to the AU and Head of UNOAU underscored the premium that the UN places on collaboration with Turkey and what the Turkish government is doing for Africa. The SRSG also expressed condolences to the people and government of Turkey on the recent devastating earthquake, but also expressed his conviction in Turkey’s resilience.

The SRSG welcomed the continued engagement by Turkey, aimed at resolving some of the security situations on the African continent, including ongoing efforts to de-escalate the conflict in Sudan. Ambassador Baran similarly welcomed the AU’s efforts in addressing peace, security and development challenges on the continent, expressed Turkey’s support for the Trilateral UN-AU-IGAD Mechanism, and the Expanded Mechanism on Sudan, underscoring the need to leverage and strengthen the existing mechanisms.