US Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa, David Satterfield will step down before June, according to sources, after taking office less than six months ago, amid political turmoil in the region.
Deputy Special Representative Payton Knopf will take over the post on an interim basis, sources said, adding that Satterfield’s departure was not an emergency.
The Foreign Ministry recently announced that Satterfield and Knopf are due to arrive in Ethiopia on Wednesday for talks with Ethiopian government officials, NGO representatives and diplomatic partners.
The State Department did not comment when asked about Satterfield’s departure.
The news of Satterfield’s expected departure, first reported by Foreign Policy magazine, comes at a time of great turmoil in the region.
