Menkerios appointed as UN chief’s special envoy to Sudan, South
July 30, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The head of the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), Haile Menkerios, has been tipped by the world body’s secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon to serve as his special envoy for Sudan and South Sudan.
“In his new capacity,” the release said, Menkerios will “continue to assist the parties reach a negotiated settlement to residual [2005’s] Comprehensive Peace Agreement [CPA] and post-secession issues.”
Sudan and South Sudan, which became independent few weeks ago, are yet to untangle their countries in terms of oil revenues and economy among other issues. They are due to resume talks on post-secession issues in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
UNMIS, established in 2005 to monitor the implementation of the CPA which ended more than two decades of civil wars between the north and south, was asked by Khartoum government to leave the north following the expiry of its mandate. The mission is currently relocating to the South.
In his mid-sixties, Menkerios had several stints in senior positions with the UN since he joined the world organization in 2002. He was appointed as UN’s Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs on 1 July 2007.
“During his tenure, he facilitated the Nairobi Communiqué between the Governments of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda regarding the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR) and other illegal armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo,” the UN said.
The veteran Eritrean diplomat also served from 2003 and 2005 as the Director of the Africa I Division of the Department of Political Affairs, the UN said.
(ST)