Abdoulaye Bathily is a Senegalese politician and diplomat with over 40 years of political and academic experience working on African and international issues with an extensive network across political, academic, military and security-related arenas. He has participated officially and unofficially in several conflict or crisis management missions in Africa, namely in Mali, Liberia, Sierra-Leone, Guinea Bissau, Niger, Madagascar, Guinea, etc. Bathily is the author of numerous publications and articles, including The Military and Militarism in Africa (1999), Mai 68 à Dakar : La Révolte Universitaire et la Démocratie (1992), Les Portes de l’Or (1989) ; le Royaume de Galam ; Sénégal de l’ère musulmane aux temps des négriers (VIIIème-XVIIIème siècle) (1989). He later worked as a diplomat for the United Nations, and since 2014 he has been Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Central Africa.