United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Ghana’s Anita Kiki Gbeho as the new Special Representative for South Sudan and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), succeeding the late Nicholas Haysom of South Africa. Guterres acknowledged Haysom’s leadership and long service to the UN while announcing the new appointment.
Gbeho brings over 25 years of experience in political, humanitarian, and development work within the UN system. Prior to this appointment, she served as Deputy Special Representative, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, and has also acted as officer-in-charge of the mission. She previously held senior roles in Somalia with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) and in Darfur with the African Union–United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), as well as serving as UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Namibia.
Her extensive career also includes work with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs across multiple conflict and post-conflict settings, including Angola, Cambodia, Iraq, Namibia, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan. Gbeho holds a bachelor’s degree in social sciences and African studies from the State University of New York and a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Ghana.
