UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced the appointment of Nicholas Haysom of South Africa as his Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan.

He will succeed Haile Menkerios of Eritrea.

Nicholas Haysom is a lawyer with a long international career focused on democratic governance, constitutional and electoral reforms.

The Spokesperson of the Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric says Mr Haysom will remain for a few more weeks as the Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

He has been serving at the mission since 2014 as Head and Deputy from 2012 to 2014.

Mr Haysom was Director for Political, Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Affairs in the Executive Office of the United Nations Secretary-General from 2007 to 2012, and Head of the Office of Constitutional Support for the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq from 2005 to 2007.

He also served in the Government of the Republic of South Africa including as Chief Legal and Constitutional Adviser in the Office of the President from 1994 to 1999.

Mr Haysom was involved in the Burundi Peace Talks as chair of the committee negotiating constitutional issues, from 1999 to 2002 and was the principal adviser to the Mediator in the Sudanese Peace Process from 2002 to 2005.