The chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Jean Ping, has appointed Mondher Rezgui as special representative and head of the AU Liaison Office in Libya, with residence in Tripoli, The Africa Report learnt on Thursday.

Rezgui, a politicial science specialist, is at present minister counsellor in the office of the President of the Republic of Tunisia.

He previously occupied the post of director of cabinet in the Office of the President as Minister.

Between 1989 and 2011, he held a number of posts in parliament, including chargé de mission in the office of the Speaker of the Parliament and director of the Centre for Parliamentary Research and Studies.

The appointment was made after the AU summit last weekend in Addis Ababa. The summit highlighted numerous solutions on how to enhance the commission's role to strengthen peace and security in the continent.

The opening of a liaison office in Tripoli was authorised by the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) at its 297th meeting on 20 October 2011.

In conformity with all the decisions of the relevant organs of the AU, the mandate of the office include supporting efforts to stabilise conflict, promote national reconciliation and facilitate transitional process towards democratic institutions, in cooperation with the United Nations and the other international partners.

On 17 January 2012, Ping visited Libya to consult with the Libyan authorities, which saw an important delegation of the Libyan government participating in the sessions of the Executive Council and of the Assembly of the African Union, in Addis Ababa.

Ping's chairmanship at the commission has been extended by the African leaders for another coming six months, after he failed to clinch the top position during the chairmanship elections with the required two third votes.

The next election has been scheduled to take place in six months in Malawi.