Special Representative and Head of MINUSCA 

Mankeur Ndiaye

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Mr. Mankeur Ndiaye of Senegal as his new Special Representative for the Central African Republic (CAR) and Head of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).
 
Mr. Ndiaye succeeds Mr. Parfait Onanga-Anyanga of Gabon, who has been leading the Mission since August 2015.  The Secretary-General is grateful for Mr. Onanga-Anyanga’sunwavering commitment to supporting the CAR in particular during the 2014-2016 transition period, culminating in the Bangui Forum and the 2016 elections.  SRSG Onanga-Anyanga’s leadership, integrity, personal commitment and tireless efforts have been crucial, including in support of the ongoing peace process as part of the Panel of Facilitators of the African Initiative. 
 
Mr. Ndiaye is a seasoned diplomat and brings over 27 years of experience in diplomacy and international affairs, including as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Senegal from 2012 to 2017.  Most recently, Mr. Ndiaye served as Chairman of the National Committee on Extractives Industries Transparency Initiative in Senegal (EITI). 
 
Prior to his ministerial appointment, he served as the Ambassador of Senegal to France (2012) and to Mali (2010-2012).  He has also held the position of Chief of Staff of the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2003 to 2009.  From 1997 to 2003, Mr. Ndiaye worked at the Permanent Mission of Senegal to the United Nations in New York.
 
Earlier in his career, he served as Technical Adviser in the Office of the Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad, in charge of economic, technical and financial cooperation.  He also served as the Chief of Staff of the Minister of African Economic Integration and as the Chief of Staff of the Minister of Economy, Finance and Planning.  Previously, he held the positions of Head of the Personnel and Social Affairs Division and Deputy Director of Administration and Equipment at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 
 
Mr. Ndiaye graduated from the National School of Administration/ Diplomatic Section in 1991 in Senegal.
 
Born in 1960, Mr. Ndiaye is married and has three children.

Deputy Special Representative and Deputy Head of MINUSCA 

Lizbeth Cullity

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 08 January the appointment of Lizbeth Cullity of the United States as Deputy Special Representative and Deputy Head of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).

Ms. Cullity succeeds Kenneth Gluck, also of the United States, who completed his assignment in December 2019.  The Secretary-General is grateful for his dedicated service in the Central African Republic during a crucial period in the political process.

With more than 25 years of leadership experience with the United Nations in Africa, the Americas and the Pacific, Ms. Cullity was the Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in Haiti beginning in 2008 until 2010.  During that period, she also served as Chief of the Human Rights Section in the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).  Between 2011 and 2013, she was MINUSTAH’s Chief of Political Affairs.

From 2013 to 2017, Ms. Cullity was United Nations Resident Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Samoa. Most recently she served as Chief of Staff in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

Ms. Cullity held numerous leadership roles in Sierra Leone and Haiti, including Regional Coordinator of the United Nations/Organization of American States International Civilian Mission to Haiti from 1993 to 2000, in addition to heading the human rights, political and electoral pillar of the Organization of American States Special Political Mission to Haiti from 2002 until 2004.

A graduate of the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont, in the United States, she holds a master’s degree in international administration and is fluent in English, French and Haitian Creole.

Deputy Special Representative 

Denise Brown

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 21 March the appointment of Denise Brown of Canada as his new Deputy Special Representative for the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), where she will also serve as United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator.

She succeeds Najat Rochdi of Morocco, who completed her assignment in February and to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her leadership and dedicated commitment during her tenure to supporting recovery, peacebuilding and humanitarian efforts in the Central African Republic. 

Ms. Brown brings to the position over more than two decades of professional experience and extensive knowledge of humanitarian affairs and recovery programmes, with a particular concentration on complex emergencies and a thematic focus on operations, programme development, coordination and interagency relations.  She has been serving at World Food Programme (WFP) hheadquarters eadquarters in Rome since 2017, first as Director of the Emergency Preparedness and Support Response Division and then as Director of Policy and Programmes since 2018.

From 2013 to 2016, Ms. Brown was the WFP Director for West and Central Africa, based in Dakar, Senegal, and covering 20 countries.  She has spent most of her career in the field with WFP, covering a range of situations in Niger, Somalia, Kenya, Afghanistan and Iraq.  She has also worked with non-governmental organizations in Haiti and Cambodia.

Ms. Brown holds a Master of Science degree in Children’s children’s Development development from Purdue University in the, United States.

Born in 1963, she is married and has three children.

Force Commander 

 
Lieutenant-General Balla Keita 
 
Lieutenant-General Balla Keita (Senegal) was appointed on 11 February 2016 as Force Commander of the Multidimensional Integrated UN Stabilization Mission in CAR (MINUSCA).
 
Major-General Balla Keita brings to MINUSCA extensive leadership and operational experience.
Prior to his appointment, he served as Deputy Force Commander of the African Union/United Nations Hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID). From 2007 to 2010, he served as Sector Commander in Darfur, and, as Chief Operating within MONUC (now MONUSCO) in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in 2001. He had previously held various senior positions in other peacekeeping missions in Liberia and in Guinea-Bissau.
 
Major General Balla Keita also occupied key posits within the Senegalese army, including the position of Inspector General of Senegalese Armed Forces and of Chief of Staff for more than two years. He also has worked for the Senegalese Special Forces for more than fifteen years and brings in an experience of nearly 40 years in the service.  

Born on 25 April 1956 in Malilounda (Senegal), Major-General Balla Keita completed his military studies in France, USA and Germany.

He succeeds to Major General Martin Chomu Tumenta (Cameroon) who passed on 30 November 2015, from illness.

Police Commissioner

Major General Pascal Champion

Major General Pascal Champion was appointed on 12 March 2019 as the Head of MINUSCA’s Police Component.

With over 36 years of service in the French National Gendarmerie, Major General Champion brings extensive operational experience and leadership acquired in various commanding positions.

Major General Champion served as United Nations Police Commissioner in MONUSCO from 2014 to 2016 where he made important contributions in the field of the protection of civilians and electoral security as well as to various policies on UN Policing.

Before joining MINUSCA, Major General Pascal Champion held a senior position in the International Cooperation Directorate of the French Ministry of Interior in which he contributed to partnerships with, amongst others, the United Nations and the European Union.

He studied at Cambridge University, Sorbonne and the War college in Paris. He is married and has three children.