United Nations

 NEW YORK, 16 November (UN Headquarters) -- The following statement was issued today by the Office of the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

On 4 October, Secretary-General Kofi Annan sent a letter to the Security Council announcing his intention to name Legwaila Joseph Legwaila of Botswana as his Special Representative to lead the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE).  The Secretary-General introduced Mr. Legwaila to the United Nations press corps on 7 November, prior to Mr. Legwaila's departure to the region.

 Mr. Legwaila had most recently served as the Permanent Representative of Botswana to the United Nations, a post he also held in 1980.

Born on 2 February 1937, Mr. Legwaila began his career as a primary school teacher in Botswana.  Between 1973 and 1980 he worked for the Botswana presidency, before coming to New York as Botswana's Ambassador.  In New York he served three times as Vice-President of the United Nations General Assembly -- in 1981, 1987 and 1991.  He represented his country on the Security Council, and served as Council President in February 1995 and March 1996. 

He served as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Namibia between 1989 and 1990.  Among many other postings, he worked as Special Representative of the Secretary- General of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) for South Africa, and Special Envoy of the Chairman of the Frontline States to Lesotho.  He also served as his country's High Commissioner to Guyana in 1981, High Commissioner to Jamaica in 1982 and Ambassador to Cuba in 1983.

Ambassador Legwaila is married with three children.