Secretary-General Appoints Haile Tilahun Gebremariam of Ethiopia Head of Mission for Abyei

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Haile Tilahun Gebremariam of Ethiopia as the Head of Mission of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).  He succeeds Lieutenant-General Yohannes Gebremeskel Tesfamariam of Ethiopia who completed his assignment on 19 June 2014.  The Secretary-General is grateful to Lieutenant-General Tesfamariam and former acting Head of Mission Major-General Halefom Ejigu Moges for their dedication and effective leadership of UNISFA.

Following a long and distinguished career with the Ministry of Defence of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Mr. Gebremariam served since 2013 as Chief of Logistics with Ambassel Trading House in Ethiopia.  Previous management positions in the private sector include adviser to an internal audit management company (2011 to 2013) and adviser to the General Manager of an engineering company (2006 to 2011).  Senior operational and staff positions held by Mr. Gebremariam in the Ministry of Defence include State Minister of Defence (2003 to 2006), Ethiopian Air Force Deputy Commander (1998 to 2001), Chief of Administration (1997 to 1998) and Chief of Logistics (1996 to 1997).

Mr. Gebremariam has a master’s degree from the Open University in the United Kingdom.

Born in 1954, he is married and has three children.