UN Secretary-General appoints AU, UN Deputies for UNAMID

The United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mrs. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, have appointed Mr. Joseph Mutaboba of Rwanda as the African Union and United Nations Deputy Joint Special Representative in Darfur and Deputy Head of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation (UNAMID).

Mr. Mutaboba brings to his new position extensive experience after a long career in diplomacy and foreign affairs, most recently serving as the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Guinea-Bissau and Head of the United Nations Peace building Support Office in Guinea-Bissau
(UNOGBIS) until January 2013, a statement has said.

He previously served as the Rwandan President’s Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region, and at Secretary-General in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Internal Affairs.  Earlier, he held several senior level positions as the Deputy National Coordinator for Rwanda, the Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1999 to 2001 and as a senior diplomat in Addis Ababa and Washington, D.C., the statement noted.

Mr. Mutaboba will replace Ms. Aichatou Mindaoudou of Niger and the Secretary-General took the opportunity to express his deep appreciation to Ms. Mindaoudou for her tireless dedication and invaluable service during her tenure in UNAMID.

By Dorcas Appiah