Malian diplomat appointed new UNMISS deputy chief

December 24, 2014 (JUBA) – United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon Wednesday appointed the Malian diplomat Moustapha Soumaré as the deputy head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

Soumaré, according to a statement issued by the spokesperson of the UN secretary general, will succeed Raisedon Zenenga of Zimbabwe. The latter will be taking up the post of deputy special representative of the UN mission in Somalia (UNSOM).

The new UNMISS deputy special representative (Political) has extensive peace, development and leadership experience, according to the UN spokesperson.

He is currently the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), where he also serves as the UN Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Representative of the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

Soumaré was the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Recovery and Governance in the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), from 2009 to 2012.

He has served as Deputy Assistant Administrator of the UNDP and Deputy Regional Director for the Regional Bureau for Africa in New York from 2007 to 2009.

He holds a doctorate degree in soil and water conservation from the University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia.

(ST)