UN appoints Ghana’s Anita Gbeho as Special Representative for South Sudan
The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has appointed Ghanaian diplomat Anita Kiki Gbeho as his Special Representative for South Sudan and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Gbeho succeeds the late Nicholas Haysom of South Africa, whom Guterres commended for his dedication and l...
The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has appointed Ghanaian diplomat Anita Kiki Gbeho as his Special Representative for South Sudan and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
Gbeho succeeds the late Nicholas Haysom of South Africa, whom Guterres commended for his dedication and leadership of the mission, as well as his longstanding contribution to peacebuilding efforts within the UN system.
Her appointment follows more than 25 years of experience in strategic planning, coordination, and management across political, development, and humanitarian sectors, both at UN Headquarters and in conflict and post-conflict settings.
Gbeho has worked in several countries, including Angola, Cambodia, Iraq, Namibia, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan.
Since 2024, she has served as deputy special representative of the secretary-general in UNMISS, while also holding dual roles as humanitarian coordinator and resident coordinator in South Sudan. During this period, she has, on several occasions, acted as officer-in-charge of the mission.
Earlier, she was deputy special representative (political) of the secretary-general in the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia between 2021 and 2023. She also served as Deputy Joint Special Representative of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur from 2018 to 2020.
Between 2015 and 2018, she was Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme in Namibia.
Gbeho has also held senior positions within the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, serving as Chief of Section in New York and Head of Office in both Somalia and South Sudan.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in social sciences and African studies from the State University of New York and a Master of Arts in international relations from the University of Ghana.
An alumna of Aburi Girls’ Senior High School, her appointment is expected to resonate strongly in Ghana, as she takes up one of the UN’s most critical diplomatic and peacekeeping roles.