KANO, Nigeria 

A former president of Nigeria was appointed as the African Union's envoy to the Horn of Africa region.

AU Commission chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat, said on Friday that the former President Olusegun Obasanjo would "intensify engagements with all relevant political actors and stakeholders in the region towards entrenching durable peace and stability within the Horn of Africa."

Obasanjo was democratically elected to lead Nigeria for eight consecutive terms before handing over the office to late President Umar Yaradua.

He is due to arrive in the region in the coming weeks and the African Union has asked all sides to support him.

His appointment comes amid political and security turbulence in the region, including in Ethiopia, where the African Union headquarters is based.

The country has been engaged in civil conflict with Tigray rebels in its northern regions since November 2020.