Uhomoibhi appointed joint special representative for UNAMID

Martin Ihoeghian Uhomoibhi was named joint special representative for Darfur and head of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation (UNAMID) in Darfur Tuesday.

In this role, Uhomoibhi, who is Nigerian, will also be African Union-United Nations joint chief mediator. He succeeds Abiodun Oluremi Bashua of Nigeria.

Uhomoibhi has had a long career in international forums. His most recent position was as founder and president of the Pan African Institute for Global Affairs and Strategy. He served for more than three decades with the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during which time he acted as permanent secretary of the ministry, ambassador of Nigeria to Switzerland and permanent representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva.

He also has worked for the permanent mission of Nigeria to the United Nations in New York, consulate-general of Nigeria in Atlanta and its Embassies in Ethiopia and Yugoslavia.

Finally, Uhomoibhi was the third president of the United Nations Human Rights Council  in 2008 and chairman of the World Intellectual Property Organisation General Assembly.