US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa (SEHOA) Ambassador Mike Hammer will travel from May 31 – June 6 to Djibouti and Ethiopia.
In Djibouti, Ambassador Hammer will participate in the East Africa Security Forum hosted by the United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM) and the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) to coordinate efforts on crisis response, and countering security threats.
He will also meet Djiboutian government officials to discuss bilateral cooperation and regional issues in the Horn of Africa, as well as Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Executive Secretary Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu to review IGAD’s recent engagement and activities.
In Ethiopia, Ambassador Hammer will meet African Union officials on the implementation of the November 2, 2022 Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA).
He will discuss progress and priorities—including transitional justice and accountability efforts, as well as disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration programming—with Ethiopian government officials in Addis Ababa and with the Tigray Interim Regional Administration in Mekele.
U.S. Department of State
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Ambassador Michael (Mike) A. Hammer
Ambassador Hammer is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service
Ambassador Michael (Mike) A. Hammer was named the United States Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa on June 1, 2022. His most recent assignment abroad was as the U.S. ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2018-2022.
Ambassador Hammer is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service class of Minister-Counselor. His over three decades of service include serving as Acting Senior Vice President of the National Defense University (NDU) and Deputy Commandant of NDU’s Eisenhower School. He as U.S. ambassador to Chile from 2014-2016. Prior to his appointment in Chile, Ambassador Hammer served as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs from March 2012 to August 2013.
Before joining the Bureau of Public Affairs, Ambassador Hammer served at the White House as Special Assistant to the President, Senior Director for Press and Communications, and National Security Council Spokesman from January 2009 to January 2011. He previously served at the National Security Council as Deputy Spokesman from 1999 to 2000 and as the Director of Andean Affairs from 2000 to 2001.
Ambassador Hammer’s overseas postings include Bolivia, Norway, Iceland, and Denmark. His other State Department assignments include the Operations Center and serving as Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. Ambassador Hammer has received several awards, including the Navy’s Distinguished Public Service Award, the State Department’s Distinguished Honor Award, the Department’s Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Public Diplomacy, and several Superior Honor awards.
Ambassador Hammer earned a Bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. He also earned Master’s degrees from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and from the National War College at the National Defense University
