Peter Pham appointed as US envoy for Africa's Great Lakes Region

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the appointment of Peter Pham on Friday as the U.S. special envoy for Africa's Great Lakes Region, the State Department said in a statement.

Pham, director of the Africa Center at the Atlantic Council think tank, will coordinate U.S. policy in the region, with an emphasis on strengthening democratic institutions and the safe return of refugees and displaced persons, the department said in a statement.