U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Albert Gerard Koenders of the Netherlands as head of the recently approved U.N. peacekeeping mission in the North African nation of Mali.
Koenders will serve as Ban's Special Representative in the country and will lead the U.N. Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSMA), which is tasked with supporting the counry's political process, in close coordination twith the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The Mission will help the Malian authorities to implement the transitional roadmap towards the full restoration of constitutional order, democratic governance and national unity. It includes holding of elections in July, confidence-building and facilitation of reconciliation at the national and local levels.
Koenders has been the Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of the U.N. Operation in Ivory Coast (UNOCI) since October 2011. Aichatou Mindaoudou Souleymane of Niger, who has been serving as Deputy Joint Special Representative in the African Union-U.N. Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), has been appointed as Koenders' replacement in Ivory Coast.
Ban has also announced that Haile Menkerios of South Africa will be his new Special Representative and head of the U.N. Office to the African Union (UNOAU). In addition, Menkerios will also continue his current assignment as the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan.
Menkerios will replace Zachary Muburi-Muita to the post. While announcing the new appointments, Ban said he was grateful for Muburi-Muita's dedicated service with UNOAU since its establishment in 2010 and for deepening the African Union-U.N. strategic partnership.
Separately, Carlos Alberto Dos Santos Cruz of Brazil was appointed as Force Commander of the U.N. Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
Lt-Gen. Santos Cruz succeeds Lt-Gen. Chander Prakash Wadhwa of India, who completed his assignment on March 31. The U.N. chief's spokesperson said the Secretary-General is grateful for Wadhwa's dedicated and effective service during his tenure of over two years in MONUSCO.
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