James P. McAnulty (sometimes McNulty) is an American diplomat who served as the U.S.

Envoy Envoy or Envoys may refer to: Diplomacy * Diplomacy, in general * Envoy (title) * Special envoy, a type of diplomatic rank Brands *Airspeed Envoy, a 1930s British light transport aircraft *Envoy (automobile), an automobile brand used to sell Br ...

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

. After the U.S. officially recognized the government of Somalia and reopened its Mission there in 2013 after some 22 years, it continued to be represented in Somalia by a special envoy based at its embassy in

Nairobi, Kenya Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper h ...

and titled a

Special Representative Diplomatic rank is a system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. A diplomat's rank determines many ceremonial details, such as the order of precedence at official processions, table seating ...

rather than by a U.S. Ambassador. McAnulty, a career foreign service officer (FSO) who joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1983, was appointed the Mission's Special Representative to Somalia, and he was received as such by the Somalia government on August 26, 2013. McAnulty was last prior to being appointed the U.S. Special Representative to Somalia, the U.S. Deputy Chief of Missions in Nigeria. A graduate of the

United States Air Force Academy The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academy in El Paso County, Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs. It educates cadets for service in the officer corps of the United States Air Force and U ...

at Colorado Springs, Colorado, McAnulty served as a commissioned officer in the

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

before joining the U.S. Foreign Service.

Actions as envoy

During McAnulty's tenure as envoy to Somalia, the U.S. has been accused by some of using heavy handed tactics to micromanage the country's affairs, even, of waging a "war" against the country, and being insensitive to its peoples' cultures and religious beliefs. In his official capacity as U.S. Special Representative to Somalia, McAnulty in late 2015 threatened significant cuts in U.S. foreign aid to Somalia if its political infighting did not cease. He cautioned Somalia president Silanyo against further delay of parliamentary elections, while tacitly threatening the withdrawal of aid if the elections were not held on schedule. The leaked letter from Envoy McAnulty to Somalia President

Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud "Silanyo" ( so, Axmed Maxamed Maxamuud Siilaanyo, ar, احمد محمد محمود سيلانيو) (born 1938) is a Somaliland politician who was President of Somaliland from 2010–2017. He is a long-time member of the g ...

"Silanyo" appears at right. McAnulty condemned the August 22 and 23, 2015

Al-Shabaab (militant group) Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen (HSM; ar, حركة الشباب المجاهدين, translit=Ḥarakat ash-Shabāb al-Mujāhidīn, so, Xarakada Mujaahidiinta Alshabaab, ), more commonly known as al-Shabaab, is an Islamic fundamentalist Sala ...

attacks against the

Somali National Army The Somali National Army ( Somali: ''Xooga Dalka Soomaaliyeed,'' lit. ''"Somali Ground Forces"'') is the ground forces component of the Somali Armed Forces, and is the largest out of the three service branches that make up the majority of the A ...

, Kenyan Defense Forces and civilians. He also wrote an internet article urging cessation of and condemning the cultural practice of “genital mutilation” (

female circumcision Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and female circumcision, is the ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. The practice is found ...

) in sub-Saharan Africa. In August 2014, the Somali and U.S. governments reached an agreement in Washington stipulating that the United States would contribute $1.9 million toward security sector reform, development and capacity-building efforts in Somalia, which McAnulty signed on behalf of the U.S. government.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McAnulty, James P. Living people American diplomats United States Foreign Service personnel United States Air Force officers Year of birth missing (living people)