By Hafsa Mursal

MOGADISHU- The President of the United States, Joe Biden, has appointed Richard H. Riley as the new ambassador of Washington to Mogadishu, according to a statement from the White House.

This ambassador will officially take over the position when he receives the credentials from the president of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, although it is not clear when he will assume his responsibilities.

Richard H. Riley, currently works at the US Embassy in Canada, where he is the economic adviser to the American ambassador.

He previously served as consul general at the US consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan. He also held senior positions in the American embassies in several countries.

He was once the acting ambassador at the US Embassy in Norway and the deputy for mission affairs at the embassy in Oslo.

Richard H. Riley has served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. He is a prominent American diplomat. He also held the following positions;• Deputy General of the US Embassy in Sana’a, Yemen.
• He was one of the leading officers of a special team in charge of the reconstruction of the Nangahar region in Afghanistan.
• He served as the former Deputy Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in charge of Egypt and Syria.
• At the US Embassy in Baghdad, he once served as the head of democracy and human rights.
• Richard H. Rile, the newly appointed ambassador to Somalia has also worked in several countries including, England, Russia, China and Jamaica.

He holds a degree from Harvard University, especially in the business department, and he also received a second degree from the National Defense University specializing in international security strategy. Richard H. Rile, speaks Pashto, Arabic, Russian, French and Chinese Mandarin.

The current US Ambassador to Somalia, Ambassador Larry E. André, Jr has also been an ambassador to many countries including Djibouti.

Mr. Edward posted on Twitter of the American Embassy in Mogadishu yesterday that the president of the self-declared independent Republic of Somaliland has the power to withdraw his troops from the city of Las-Anood and he can announce a plan for the elections in Somaliland.

#Somaliland President Bihi has the power to create distance between forces in Lascanood & announce a roadmap for future elections. During a frank conversation with him this afternoon, I encouraged him to do both. – Ambassador André

— U.S. Embassy Mogadishu, Somalia (@US2SOMALIA) March 29, 2023

The outgoing ambassador, Larry Edward was appointed as Somalia’s ambassador in April 2021. He previously took over from Donald Yamamoto who has been operating in Somalia since July 2018.