Profiles of AU Special Envoys, High Representatives, Special Representatives, and the Panel of the Wise - August 2022 - African
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:36
Profiles of AU Special Envoys, High Representatives, Special Representatives, and the Panel of the Wise - August 2022 - African Union - Peace and Security Department
Français
Português
Kiswahili
عربي
Webmail
AU_Home
Partners
Sitemap
Subscribe_Now
Facebook
Twitter
Rss
Youtube
Flickr
+251.11 5513 822
Profiles of AU Special Envoys, High Representatives, Special Representatives, and the Panel of the Wise - August 2022
Last Updated on Monday 19 September 2022
Listen to this article (Press F7)
Profiles of AU Special Envoys, High Representatives, Special Representatives, and the Panel of the Wise
SPECIAL ENVOYS
FULL NAMES:
H.E. Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki
NATIONALITY:
South African
PORTFOLIO:
Chairperson of the AU High-Level Implementation Panel for Sudan and South Sudan (AUHIP). Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in July 2008
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
H.E. Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki is a former President of the Republic of South Africa (1999 – 2008). He is a passionate Pan-Africanist who has negotiated and resolved various complex conflicts and crises on the African continent. He has also played an influential in mediating several conflicts in Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, and Liberia.
==========================================================
FULL NAMES: H
.E. Bineta Diop
NATIONALITY:
Senegalese
PORTFOLIO:
Special Envoy for Women, Peace and Security. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in January 2014.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
H.E. Bineta Diop is the Founder and President of Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS), an international NGO that seeks to foster, strengthen, and promote the leadership role of women in conflict prevention, management, and resolution in Africa. She played an instrumental role in achieving gender parity within the African Union Commission’s leadership and in the adoption of the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa as well as the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa. She has led peacebuilding programs as well as many women’s peace and security initiatives.
=========================================================
FULL NAMES:
H.E. Joaquim Alberto Chissano
NATIONALITY:
Mozambican
PORTFOLIO:
Special Envoy for Western Sahara.Appointed by the Peace and Security Council in June 2014.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
H.E. Joaquim Alberto Chissano is a former President of the Republic of Mozambique (1986 – 2005), former Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) (2000 – 2001) and former Chairperson of the African Union (2003 - 2004). He is currently the chairperson of the Africa Forum of Former African Heads of State and Government and the Joaquim Chissano Foundation, which promotes peace, social-economic development, and culture. He is a former SADC Mediator for Madagascar and a former United Nations envoy for Northern Uganda, Southern Sudan, and Guinea Bissau.
=========================================================
HIGH REPRESENTATIVES
FULL NAMES:
H.E. Alpha Oumar Konaré
NATIONALITY:
Malian
PORTFOLIO:
High Representative for South Sudan. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in June 2015.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
H.E. Alpha Oumar Konaré is a former President of the Republic of Mali (1992 – 2002) who also served as president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 1999 and the West African Monetary Union (UEMOA) in 2000. He is a former Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) (2003 – 2007) and former Chairperson of the AU High-Level Panel for Egypt (2013 – 2014). He was a mediator in the 1997 crisis between the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was instrumental in setting up the Inter-African Mission to Monitor the Implementation of the Bangui Agreements (MISAB) in 1997 and the subsequent one in 1998.
=========================================================
FULL NAMES:
H.E. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete
NATIONALITY:
Tanzanian
PORTFOLIO:
High Representative for Libya. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in January 2016.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
H.E. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete is a former President of the United Republic of Tanzania (2005 – 2015) and former Chairperson of the African Union (2008 – 2009). As Foreign Minister and later President, he played a pivotal role in peace processes in the Great Lakes region, particularly in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He also participated in mediation efforts in Kenya, Comoros, Madagascar, and Zimbabwe.
========================================================
FULL NAMES:
H.E. Dr. Donald Kaberuka
NATIONALITY:
Rwandan
PORTFOLIO:
High Representative for the Peace Fund. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in January 2016.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
H.E. Dr. Donald Kaberuka is a former Minister of Finance of the Republic of Rwanda and a former President of the African Development Bank Group (2005 – 2015). Dr. Kaberuka served on the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum, the Mandela Institute (Minds) and the Mo Ibrahim Foundation. He is currently the Chairman and Managing Partner of SouthBridge, a Pan-African financial advisory and investment firm.
========================================================
FULL NAMES:
H.E. Maman Sambo Sidikou
NATIONALITY:
Nigerien
PORTFOLIO:
High Representative for Mali and the Sahel. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in May 2021.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
H.E. Maman Sambo Sidikou is a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and African Integration of the Republic of Niger. He served as the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Head of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) (2014 – 2015), and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (2015 – 2018). He also served as the Executive Secretary of the G5 Sahel (2018 – 2021).
=========================================================
FULL NAMES:
H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo
NATIONALITY:
Nigerien
PORTFOLIO:
High Representative for the Horn of Africa. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in August 2021.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo is a former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 – 2007) and former Head of the Federal Military Government of Nigeria (1976 – 1979). He has been involved in numerous international mediation efforts, including Angola, Burundi, Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa. He is also a former UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region (2008).
========================================================
FULL NAMES:
H.E. Basile Ikouebe
NATIONALITY:
Congolese
PORTFOLIO:
AU High Representative for Chad, Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Head of the AU Liaison Office in Chad. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in May 2021.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
H.E. Basile Ikouebe is a former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Congo (2007 – 2015). He has a wealth of experience and has participated in several mediation interventions in Chad and Sudan. Prior to his current assignment, he served as the AU Special Representative for the Great Lakes Region and Head of the AU Liaison Office in Burundi from 2017 to 2021.
=========================================================
SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVES
FULL NAMES:
Mrs. Michelle Ndiaye Ntab
NATIONALITY:
Senegalese
PORTFOLIO:
Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Head of the AU Liaison Office in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in June 2020.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
Mrs. Michelle Ndiaye Ntab is a former Director of the Africa Peace and Security Programme in collaboration with the AU Commission at the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) and the former Head of the Tana Forum Secretariat. She has a wealth of experience in the field of democratic and local governance, post-conflicts and community recovery, sustainable development and environmental issues, transitional justice, communication and research.
========================================================
FULL NAMES:
Amb. Dr. Matias Bertino Matondo
NATIONALITY:
Angolan
PORTFOLIO:
Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Head of the AU Mission for the Central African Republic and Central Africa (MISAC). Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in May 2019.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
Amb. Dr. Matias Bertino Matondo has a wealth of experience in the field of preventive diplomacy, peace support operations, defence and security cooperation. He is a former Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Oversight Committee and served as the head of SADC Preventive Mission in Lesotho (SAPMIL) in 2018.
========================================================
FULL NAMES:
Amb. Mohamed Belaiche
NATIONALITY:
Moroccan
PORTFOLIO:
Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Head of the AU Liaison Office in the Republic of Sudan. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in May 2019.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
Amb. Mohamed Belaiche is a former Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to several countries. He has extensive diplomatic experience in African affairs, peacebuilding and preventive diplomacy.
========================================================
FULL NAMES:
Amb. Prof. Joram Mukama Biswaro
NATIONALITY:
Tanzanian
PORTFOLIO:
Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Head of the AU Mission in South Sudan (AUMISS). Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in October 2016.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
Amb. Prof. Joram Mukama is a former Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania to Latin America and the Caribbean and the former Permanent Representative to the AU and UN Economic Commission for Africa. He is a former Chair of the AU Peace and Security Council and has been part of several AU election observer missions to Zimbabwe, South Africa, Ghana and Kenya. He is also an accomplished scholar who has published extensively on issues of regional integration, multi-party democracy and conflict management.
========================================================
FULL NAMES:
Amb. Wahida Ayari
NATIONALITY:
Tunisian
PORTFOLIO:
Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Head of the AU Liaison Office in the State of Libya. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in November 2016.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
Amb. Wahida Ayari is a former Minister Plenipotentiary and Deputy Director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tunisia. She has extensive diplomatic experience in African affairs and preventive diplomacy.
=========================================================
FULL NAMES:
Amb. Josephine Charlotte Mayuma Kala
NATIONALITY:
Congolese
PORTFOLIO:
Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Head of the AU Liaison Office in the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in June 2015.
=======================================================
FULL NAMES:
Amb. Hawa Ahmed Youssouf
NATIONALITY:
Djiboutian
PORTFOLIO:
Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Head of the AU Liaison Office in the Republic of Madagascar. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in March 2014.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
Amb. Hawa Ahmed Youssouf is a former cabinet minister from the Republic of Djibouti. She has served on several international committees aimed at promoting peace and security in Africa. She also served as the AU Special Representative to the Central African Republic, where she was engaged in helping to raise funding for the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of victims affected by the conflict.
========================================================
FULL NAMES:
Amb. Ovidio Manuel Barbosa Pequeno
NATIONALITY:
São Tomean
PORTFOLIO:
Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Head of the Republic of São Tome and Principe. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in July 2012.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
Amb. Ovidio Manuel Barbosa Pequeno is a former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of São Tome and Principe (2004 – 2006). He has long-standing diplomatic experience and knowledge of African issues in general and Lusophone Africa in particular. He is a former Chair of the Council of Ministers of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) and headed the delegation of that institution in the mediation efforts to resolve the conflict that shook Guinea-Bissau between 2004 and 2006.
========================================================
THE PANEL OF THE WISE
FULL NAMES:
H.E. Domitien Ndayizeye
NATIONALITY:
Burundi
PORTFOLIO:
Member (and Chair) of the 5
th
Panel of the Wise (Central Africa Region)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
H.E. Domitien Ndayizeye is a Burundian politician who served as the President of Burundi from 2003 to 2005. H.E. Ndayizeye played a pivotal role in negotiating the Arusha Agreement that ended the Burundian Civil War and facilitated the implementation of the agreement.
========================================================
FULL NAMES:
H.E. Amre Moussa
NATIONALITY:
Egypt
PORTFOLIO:
Member of the 5
th
Panel of the Wise (Northern Africa Region)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
H.E. Amre Moussa is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1991 to 2001, and the Secretary-General of the Arab League from 01 June 2001 to 01 July 2011. He held leading positions in the Foreign Ministry of his country and is a former member of the United Nation’s High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges, and Change for international peace and security, established by the then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
========================================================
FULL NAMES:
Prof. Babacar Kante
NATIONALITY:
Senegal
PORTFOLIO:
A member of the 5
th
Panel of the Wise, (Western Africa Region)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
Professor Babacar Kante is an academic and a constitutional expert. Since 2021, he serves as the Chairperson of the Political National Dialogue Commission. His career spans more than four decades, including serving as a member of the Cellular Commission for Consultations of Political Parties in Senegal from 1997 to 1998; a member of the National Observatory of Elections from 1998 to 1999; Vice-President of the Constitutional Council of Senegal from 2002 to 2008.
========================================================
FULL NAMES:
Hon. Lady Justice (Rtd) Effie Owuor
NATIONALITY:
Kenya
PORTFOLIO:
Member of the 5
th
Panel of the Wise (Eastern Africa Region)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
Hon. Lady Justice Owuor is a Kenyan lawyer and judge who served as the country’s first female State Counsel, magistrate, High Court Judge, and Court of Appeal Judge. Lady Justice Owuor was the first Kenyan woman to receive a law degree from the University of Dar es Salaam. She is a strong advocate of women’s and children’s rights.
========================================================
FULL NAMES:
H.E. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
NATIONALITY:
South Africa
PORTFOLIO:
Member of the 5
th
Panel of the Wise (Southern Africa Region)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
H.E. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka was the former South Africa's deputy president from 2005 to 2008. She served as the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women from 2013 to 2021. She has worked tirelessly on programmes and policies to reduce inequality. As the head of UNWomen, she has been a global advocate for women and girls. She established initiatives such as the HeForShe for men and boys to address gender equality. She successfully mobilized a historic $40 billion for women and girls worldwide. She s a founder and leader of the Umlambo Foundation, which is dedicated to improving education and digital literacy training for educators.
Other Pages
Mediation and Dialogue
Mediation in Africa
Profiles of AU Special Envoys, High Representatives, Special Representatives, and the Panel of the Wise
X
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Subscribe to our mailing list to get PSD updates directly to your inbox.
You can also have a direct chat with PSD officers on our Knowledge Products and Services [Check the box on the lower right corner of your screen]
Français
Português
Kiswahili
عربي
Webmail
AU_Home
Partners
Sitemap
Subscribe_Now
Rss
Youtube
Flickr
+251.11 5513 822
Profiles of AU Special Envoys, High Representatives, Special Representatives, and the Panel of the Wise - August 2022
Last Updated on Monday 19 September 2022
Listen to this article (Press F7)
Profiles of AU Special Envoys, High Representatives, Special Representatives, and the Panel of the Wise
SPECIAL ENVOYS
FULL NAMES:
H.E. Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki
NATIONALITY:
South African
PORTFOLIO:
Chairperson of the AU High-Level Implementation Panel for Sudan and South Sudan (AUHIP). Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in July 2008
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
H.E. Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki is a former President of the Republic of South Africa (1999 – 2008). He is a passionate Pan-Africanist who has negotiated and resolved various complex conflicts and crises on the African continent. He has also played an influential in mediating several conflicts in Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, and Liberia.
==========================================================
FULL NAMES: H
.E. Bineta Diop
NATIONALITY:
Senegalese
PORTFOLIO:
Special Envoy for Women, Peace and Security. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in January 2014.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
H.E. Bineta Diop is the Founder and President of Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS), an international NGO that seeks to foster, strengthen, and promote the leadership role of women in conflict prevention, management, and resolution in Africa. She played an instrumental role in achieving gender parity within the African Union Commission’s leadership and in the adoption of the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa as well as the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa. She has led peacebuilding programs as well as many women’s peace and security initiatives.
=========================================================
FULL NAMES:
H.E. Joaquim Alberto Chissano
NATIONALITY:
Mozambican
PORTFOLIO:
Special Envoy for Western Sahara.Appointed by the Peace and Security Council in June 2014.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
H.E. Joaquim Alberto Chissano is a former President of the Republic of Mozambique (1986 – 2005), former Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) (2000 – 2001) and former Chairperson of the African Union (2003 - 2004). He is currently the chairperson of the Africa Forum of Former African Heads of State and Government and the Joaquim Chissano Foundation, which promotes peace, social-economic development, and culture. He is a former SADC Mediator for Madagascar and a former United Nations envoy for Northern Uganda, Southern Sudan, and Guinea Bissau.
=========================================================
HIGH REPRESENTATIVES
FULL NAMES:
H.E. Alpha Oumar Konaré
NATIONALITY:
Malian
PORTFOLIO:
High Representative for South Sudan. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in June 2015.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
H.E. Alpha Oumar Konaré is a former President of the Republic of Mali (1992 – 2002) who also served as president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 1999 and the West African Monetary Union (UEMOA) in 2000. He is a former Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) (2003 – 2007) and former Chairperson of the AU High-Level Panel for Egypt (2013 – 2014). He was a mediator in the 1997 crisis between the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was instrumental in setting up the Inter-African Mission to Monitor the Implementation of the Bangui Agreements (MISAB) in 1997 and the subsequent one in 1998.
=========================================================
FULL NAMES:
H.E. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete
NATIONALITY:
Tanzanian
PORTFOLIO:
High Representative for Libya. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in January 2016.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
H.E. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete is a former President of the United Republic of Tanzania (2005 – 2015) and former Chairperson of the African Union (2008 – 2009). As Foreign Minister and later President, he played a pivotal role in peace processes in the Great Lakes region, particularly in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He also participated in mediation efforts in Kenya, Comoros, Madagascar, and Zimbabwe.
========================================================
FULL NAMES:
H.E. Dr. Donald Kaberuka
NATIONALITY:
Rwandan
PORTFOLIO:
High Representative for the Peace Fund. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in January 2016.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
H.E. Dr. Donald Kaberuka is a former Minister of Finance of the Republic of Rwanda and a former President of the African Development Bank Group (2005 – 2015). Dr. Kaberuka served on the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum, the Mandela Institute (Minds) and the Mo Ibrahim Foundation. He is currently the Chairman and Managing Partner of SouthBridge, a Pan-African financial advisory and investment firm.
========================================================
FULL NAMES:
H.E. Maman Sambo Sidikou
NATIONALITY:
Nigerien
PORTFOLIO:
High Representative for Mali and the Sahel. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in May 2021.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
H.E. Maman Sambo Sidikou is a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and African Integration of the Republic of Niger. He served as the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Head of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) (2014 – 2015), and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (2015 – 2018). He also served as the Executive Secretary of the G5 Sahel (2018 – 2021).
=========================================================
FULL NAMES:
H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo
NATIONALITY:
Nigerien
PORTFOLIO:
High Representative for the Horn of Africa. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in August 2021.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo is a former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 – 2007) and former Head of the Federal Military Government of Nigeria (1976 – 1979). He has been involved in numerous international mediation efforts, including Angola, Burundi, Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa. He is also a former UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region (2008).
========================================================
FULL NAMES:
H.E. Basile Ikouebe
NATIONALITY:
Congolese
PORTFOLIO:
AU High Representative for Chad, Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Head of the AU Liaison Office in Chad. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in May 2021.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
H.E. Basile Ikouebe is a former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Congo (2007 – 2015). He has a wealth of experience and has participated in several mediation interventions in Chad and Sudan. Prior to his current assignment, he served as the AU Special Representative for the Great Lakes Region and Head of the AU Liaison Office in Burundi from 2017 to 2021.
=========================================================
SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVES
FULL NAMES:
Mrs. Michelle Ndiaye Ntab
NATIONALITY:
Senegalese
PORTFOLIO:
Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Head of the AU Liaison Office in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in June 2020.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
Mrs. Michelle Ndiaye Ntab is a former Director of the Africa Peace and Security Programme in collaboration with the AU Commission at the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) and the former Head of the Tana Forum Secretariat. She has a wealth of experience in the field of democratic and local governance, post-conflicts and community recovery, sustainable development and environmental issues, transitional justice, communication and research.
========================================================
FULL NAMES:
Amb. Dr. Matias Bertino Matondo
NATIONALITY:
Angolan
PORTFOLIO:
Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Head of the AU Mission for the Central African Republic and Central Africa (MISAC). Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in May 2019.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
Amb. Dr. Matias Bertino Matondo has a wealth of experience in the field of preventive diplomacy, peace support operations, defence and security cooperation. He is a former Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Oversight Committee and served as the head of SADC Preventive Mission in Lesotho (SAPMIL) in 2018.
========================================================
FULL NAMES:
Amb. Mohamed Belaiche
NATIONALITY:
Moroccan
PORTFOLIO:
Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Head of the AU Liaison Office in the Republic of Sudan. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in May 2019.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
Amb. Mohamed Belaiche is a former Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to several countries. He has extensive diplomatic experience in African affairs, peacebuilding and preventive diplomacy.
========================================================
FULL NAMES:
Amb. Prof. Joram Mukama Biswaro
NATIONALITY:
Tanzanian
PORTFOLIO:
Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Head of the AU Mission in South Sudan (AUMISS). Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in October 2016.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
Amb. Prof. Joram Mukama is a former Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania to Latin America and the Caribbean and the former Permanent Representative to the AU and UN Economic Commission for Africa. He is a former Chair of the AU Peace and Security Council and has been part of several AU election observer missions to Zimbabwe, South Africa, Ghana and Kenya. He is also an accomplished scholar who has published extensively on issues of regional integration, multi-party democracy and conflict management.
========================================================
FULL NAMES:
Amb. Wahida Ayari
NATIONALITY:
Tunisian
PORTFOLIO:
Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Head of the AU Liaison Office in the State of Libya. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in November 2016.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
Amb. Wahida Ayari is a former Minister Plenipotentiary and Deputy Director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tunisia. She has extensive diplomatic experience in African affairs and preventive diplomacy.
=========================================================
FULL NAMES:
Amb. Josephine Charlotte Mayuma Kala
NATIONALITY:
Congolese
PORTFOLIO:
Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Head of the AU Liaison Office in the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in June 2015.
=======================================================
FULL NAMES:
Amb. Hawa Ahmed Youssouf
NATIONALITY:
Djiboutian
PORTFOLIO:
Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Head of the AU Liaison Office in the Republic of Madagascar. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in March 2014.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
Amb. Hawa Ahmed Youssouf is a former cabinet minister from the Republic of Djibouti. She has served on several international committees aimed at promoting peace and security in Africa. She also served as the AU Special Representative to the Central African Republic, where she was engaged in helping to raise funding for the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of victims affected by the conflict.
========================================================
FULL NAMES:
Amb. Ovidio Manuel Barbosa Pequeno
NATIONALITY:
São Tomean
PORTFOLIO:
Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Head of the Republic of São Tome and Principe. Appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in July 2012.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
Amb. Ovidio Manuel Barbosa Pequeno is a former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of São Tome and Principe (2004 – 2006). He has long-standing diplomatic experience and knowledge of African issues in general and Lusophone Africa in particular. He is a former Chair of the Council of Ministers of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) and headed the delegation of that institution in the mediation efforts to resolve the conflict that shook Guinea-Bissau between 2004 and 2006.
========================================================
THE PANEL OF THE WISE
FULL NAMES:
H.E. Domitien Ndayizeye
NATIONALITY:
Burundi
PORTFOLIO:
Member (and Chair) of the 5
th
Panel of the Wise (Central Africa Region)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
H.E. Domitien Ndayizeye is a Burundian politician who served as the President of Burundi from 2003 to 2005. H.E. Ndayizeye played a pivotal role in negotiating the Arusha Agreement that ended the Burundian Civil War and facilitated the implementation of the agreement.
========================================================
FULL NAMES:
H.E. Amre Moussa
NATIONALITY:
Egypt
PORTFOLIO:
Member of the 5
th
Panel of the Wise (Northern Africa Region)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
H.E. Amre Moussa is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1991 to 2001, and the Secretary-General of the Arab League from 01 June 2001 to 01 July 2011. He held leading positions in the Foreign Ministry of his country and is a former member of the United Nation’s High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges, and Change for international peace and security, established by the then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
========================================================
FULL NAMES:
Prof. Babacar Kante
NATIONALITY:
Senegal
PORTFOLIO:
A member of the 5
th
Panel of the Wise, (Western Africa Region)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
Professor Babacar Kante is an academic and a constitutional expert. Since 2021, he serves as the Chairperson of the Political National Dialogue Commission. His career spans more than four decades, including serving as a member of the Cellular Commission for Consultations of Political Parties in Senegal from 1997 to 1998; a member of the National Observatory of Elections from 1998 to 1999; Vice-President of the Constitutional Council of Senegal from 2002 to 2008.
========================================================
FULL NAMES:
Hon. Lady Justice (Rtd) Effie Owuor
NATIONALITY:
Kenya
PORTFOLIO:
Member of the 5
th
Panel of the Wise (Eastern Africa Region)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
Hon. Lady Justice Owuor is a Kenyan lawyer and judge who served as the country’s first female State Counsel, magistrate, High Court Judge, and Court of Appeal Judge. Lady Justice Owuor was the first Kenyan woman to receive a law degree from the University of Dar es Salaam. She is a strong advocate of women’s and children’s rights.
========================================================
FULL NAMES:
H.E. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
NATIONALITY:
South Africa
PORTFOLIO:
Member of the 5
th
Panel of the Wise (Southern Africa Region)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
H.E. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka was the former South Africa's deputy president from 2005 to 2008. She served as the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women from 2013 to 2021. She has worked tirelessly on programmes and policies to reduce inequality. As the head of UNWomen, she has been a global advocate for women and girls. She established initiatives such as the HeForShe for men and boys to address gender equality. She successfully mobilized a historic $40 billion for women and girls worldwide. She s a founder and leader of the Umlambo Foundation, which is dedicated to improving education and digital literacy training for educators.
Other Pages
Mediation and Dialogue
Mediation in Africa
Profiles of AU Special Envoys, High Representatives, Special Representatives, and the Panel of the Wise
X
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Subscribe to our mailing list to get PSD updates directly to your inbox.
You can also have a direct chat with PSD officers on our Knowledge Products and Services [Check the box on the lower right corner of your screen]