Secretary-General, African Union Commission Chair Appoint Jeremiah Mamabolo of South Africa Deputy Joint Special Representative for Darfur

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and African Union Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma announced today the appointment of Jeremiah Nyamane Kingsley Mamabolo of South Africa as Deputy Joint Special Representative for the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID).

Mr. Mamabolo succeeds Abiodun Oluremi Bashua of Nigeria, to whom the Secretary-General and the Commission Chairperson are grateful for his dedicated service during his tenure with UNAMID, including his contribution as acting Head of the Mission.

Mr. Mamabolo brings to the position a wealth of experience from his distinguished career in the diplomatic service.  Since 2013, he has served as Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations, during which he also acted as Chair of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China.  In 2009, he was appointed High Commissioner to Nigeria.  Previously, Mr. Mamabolo facilitated peace processes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi as his country’s Special Envoy to the Great Lakes region (2006-2009).  He also served as Deputy Director-General for African Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2002-2006).

Mr. Mamabolo held other senior positions, such as the Permanent Representative to the African Union, accredited also to Ethiopia, Sudan and Djibouti (1999-2002).  During that time he led efforts to promote dialogue in post-war Sierra Leone in his capacity as Special Envoy of the African Union to Sierra Leone and the Mano River Basin (2001-2002).  He also served as High Commissioner to Zimbabwe (1995-1999).

Mr. Mamabolo holds a Master’s degree in public administration from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, a diploma in journalism from Harare Polytechnic College, Zimbabwe, and a graduate diploma in social sciences from the Moscow School of Social Sciences in the Russian Federation.

Born in 1955, he is married and has four children.

*     This supersedes Press Release BIO/4452 of 13 March 2013.