United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of El-Ghassim Wane of Mauritania as his new Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).
 
Mr. Wane succeeds Annadif Khatir Mahamat Saleh of Chad, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his invaluable contribution to peace and reconciliation efforts in Mali.
 
Mr. Wane brings 25 years of experience in conflict prevention, mediation and peacekeeping, having served as Chief of Staff and Chief Adviser of the African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson (2017-2019) and United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations (2016-2017).
 
He has held several leadership positions with the AU, including as the AU Commission Peace and Security Director and Head of the Conflict Management Division, having 
contributed to the development of AU’s key strategy and policy on conflict prevention and resolution as well as engaged in prevention, mediation and peacebuilding processes across the continent.  He served as visiting Professor of the International Affairs at George Washington University, lectured at Sciences Po Paris and served as visiting senior research fellow at the African Leadership Centre, King’s College London.
 
Mr. Wane holds a master’s degree in International Public Law and International Relations and a postgraduate degree in International and European Studies from the Universities of Dakar (Senegal) and Lille II (France), respectively.  He is fluent in French and English.