Secretary-General Appoints Mbaranga Gasarabwe of Rwanda Deputy Special Representative for Mali

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Mbaranga Gasarabwe of Rwanda as his Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), where she will also serve as United Nations Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Ms. Gasarabwe succeeds David Gressly of the United States, who served as Deputy Special Representative from July 2013 to April 2015.  The Secretary-General is very grateful for Mr. Gressly’s dedicated service at a critical moment in Mali’s history and during the establishment of MINUSMA’s presence.

Ms. Gasarabwe brings more than 20 years of experience with the United Nations in development and humanitarian assistance, with a particular focus on Africa.  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.

Born in 1959, Ms. Gasarabwe holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of Burundi and a master’s degree in management and business administration from the Arthur D. Little School of Management, now known as the Hult International Business School, in the United States.