Ban appoints deputy special representatives for missions in Mali and Haiti

Mbaranga Gasarabwe of Rwanda, to serve in MINUSMA, will also serve as UN Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Representative of the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

Gasarabwe succeeds David Gressly of the United States who served as Deputy Special Representative from July 2013 to April 2015.

Ban thanked Gressly for his dedicated service at a critical moment in Mali’s history and during the establishment of MINUSMA’s presence.

Gasarabwe brings more than 20 years of experience with the UN in development and humanitarian assistance. From 2001 to 2011, she served as Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Benin, Djibouti, Guinea and Mali.

She was appointed Assistant Secretary-General in the Department of Safety and Security in 2011.

On Friday, Ban also announced the appointment of Mourad Wahba of Egypt as the Deputy Special Representative for MINUSTAH, where he will also serve as UN Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Representative of the UNDP.

Wahba will succeed Peter de Clercq of the Netherlands, who Ban also thanked today for his dedicated service and contribution to the work of the UN in Haiti.

Wahba brings to the position extensive experience in development, policy making, and operations management. He currently serves as Deputy Assistant Administrator and Deputy Regional Director for the Regional Bureau for Arab States of UNDP in New York.

Prior to this role, Wahba was the Director of the Security Office in the Bureau of management of UNDP in New York from 2009 to 2013, and UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Morocco from 2006 to 2009.

Photo: UN Photo/Mark Garten (file)