While in Banjul, Ambassador Reuben E. Brigety II, who is also the permanent representative of the US to the UN Economic Commission of Africa, will meet with AU representatives and members of civil society.
According to the statement from the US Embassy on Tuesday, Ambassador Brigety’s meeting is in support of the continuing close ties between the United States of America and the African Union.
He is scheduled to hold a press conference with the media to speak and answer questions about the strong ties between the US and the AU.
Ambassador Brigety was appointed representative of the US to the AU and permanent representative of the US to the UN Economic Commission of Africa on 3 September 2013.
Prior to this appointment, he served as deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau of African Affairs from 14 November 2011 to 3 September 2013 with responsibility for southern African and regional security affairs.
From December 2009 to November 2011, he was the deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.
In this capacity, Ambassador Brigety supervised US refugee programmes in Africa, managed US humanitarian diplomacy with major international partners, and oversaw the development of international migration policy.
A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Ambassador Brigety previously served as director of the sustainable security program at the Center for American Progress from January 2008 to November 2009 and as a special assistant in the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance at the US Agency for International Development from January 2007 to January 2008.
From November 2008 to January 2009, he also served as a senior advisor for development and security to the US Central Command Assessment Team in Washington and in Doha, Qatar.
Prior to his work in the policy arena, Ambassador Brigety served as an assistant professor of government and politics at George Mason University and at the School of International Service at American University between August 2003 and April 2009.
In addition, Ambassador Brigety was a researcher with the Arms Division of Human Rights Watch (HRW) from August 2001 to May 2003, where he conducted research missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.Before joining HRW, he was an active duty US naval officer and held several staff positions in the Pentagon and in fleet support units.
Ambassador Brigety is a 1995 distinguished midshipman graduate of the US Naval Academy, where he earned a BSc in political science (with merit), served as the Brigade Commander and received the Thomas G Pownall Scholarship.
He also holds an MPhil and a PhD in international relations from the University of Cambridge, England.
Ambassador Brigety is a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a recipient of the Council’s International Affairs Fellowship.
