Fact Box

Algeria's Brahimi, a career diplomat

Veteran Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi has agreed to replace Kofi Annan as the international mediator on Syria, UN sources said on Thursday, as the 17-month-old conflict slips deeper into full-scale civil war.

Brahimi has had a long career in international diplomacy, serving his country and the United Nations for most of his life. Here are some key details about Brahimi: