– The new Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in the DRC and Head of MONUSCO, Maman Sambo Sidikou, arrived in Kinshasa on Monday 16 November 2015.

Mr. Sidikou of Niger, replaces the outing Head of the UN Mission in the DRC, Martin Kobler of Germany, whose mandate ended on 31^st October 2015.

From the N’djili international airport, Maman S. Sidikou arrived at the MONUSCO headquarters, where he was welcomed by the civilian staff and by the Ghanaian contingent’s guard of honor.

The colorful welcoming ceremony lasted 30 minutes in the presence of the Deputy Special Representative, David Gressly, as well as the MONUSCO Force Commander, Lieutenant General Carlos Alberto Dos Santos Cruz, whose term is also coming to an end.

M. Sidikou then had a first working session with his closest collaborators, and on 17 November, the new Chief of MONUSCO met with the Mission’s department managers and substantive section chiefs of the Mission in the DRC, through video conference.

Maman S. Sidikou brings with him over 25 years of broad international experience.

Before joining MONUSCO, he was African Union Special Representative for Somalia and Head of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

He has served in various senior capacities in his government’s service since 1976, most recently as Ambassador of Niger to the United States (2011-2014).

In 1999, Mr. Sidikou served as Chief of Staff of the President of the Republic of Niger with ministerial rank and from 1997 to 2014, as Minister of Foreign Affairs and African Integration.

He also served as the Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister and Director for the National Television within the Ministry of Information.

Between 1999 and 2011, Mr. Sidikou worked for the World Bank in Washington, D.C.; for UNICEF in Nigeria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Jordan; and for Save the Children-UK in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

A holder of a Ph.D degree in Education from Florida State University, he is married and has two children.

Lydie Betyna with Tom Tshibangu’s translation