Announcement from Overseas Editor Douglas Jehl, Deputy Overseas Editor Jennifer Amur and Interim Deputy Overseas Editor Susan Levine:
Washington
Rachel Chason named The Washington Post’s West Africa bureau chief
We’re delighted to announce that Rachel Chason will turn into West Africa bureau chief. She shall be one in every of two Submit reporters liable for overlaying most of Africa, the world’s fastest-growing continent.
In her practically 5 years at The Submit, Rachel has epitomized the type of versatility, willpower and drive that animate the easiest overseas correspondents. She has excelled in overlaying the politics of Prince George’s County, Md., with tales which have linked with a lot broader audiences. Her dedication to holding energy to account drove an eye-opening run of pandemic protection that prompted lawmakers to extend inspections at nursing properties. She writes with depth, nuance and humanity – qualities that make her tales sparkle.
Rachel can be resilient. As a fill-in correspondent within the Nairobi bureau final summer time, she voyaged deep into South Sudan by boat for a narrative about historic floods. She juggled breaking information from Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia whereas delivering deeply reported enterprise with admirable dexterity.
In her new position, Rachel shall be primarily based in Dakar, Senegal, with broad tasks that may embody protection of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation. She’s going to report throughout quite a lot of topics, together with the affect of local weather change, challenges to democracy, and threats posed by violent extremism as Islamist teams proceed to realize traction in international locations similar to Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.
Rachel joined The Submit as a summer time intern in 2017 after earlier internships on the Raleigh Information and Observer, CNN Politics and USA In the present day. She is a graduate of Duke College, with a BA in political science; she speaks intermediate French. She’s going to transfer to Senegal in early summer time after devoting a while to further language examine and in any other case getting ready for her new project.