Damien Mama of Benin Appointed Ad Interim Deputy Special Representative, United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in Democratic Republic of the Congo

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Damien Mama of Benin as his Ad Interim Deputy Special Representative in the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and Ad Interim Resident Coordinator in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mr. Mama will also serve as Humanitarian Coordinator.

Mr. Mama takes up this ad interim appointment following the departure of Bruno Lemarquis of France, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his leadership and dedicated commitment to advancing humanitarian and development efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Mr. Mama brings more than 25 years of experience in development, humanitarian affairs, peace operations and strategic leadership across Africa. He has served as United Nations Resident Coordinator in Burundi and Togo, Chief of Office to the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Operations and Rule of Law Pillar in MONUSCO, Director of Stabilization and Recovery in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and Interim Chief of the country oversight team for Africa at United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Headquarters in New York. He has also held programme and policy positions with the United Nations in South Sudan, Burundi, Sierra Leone and Kosovo.

Most recently, he has served as UNDP Resident Representative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since March 2023.

Prior to joining the United Nations, Mr. Mama worked with non-governmental organizations in West Africa, focusing on governance, food security and community development.

Mr. Mama holds a master's degree in development management from Ruhr University Bochum in Germany and a master's degree in geography and spatial planning from the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin. In addition to his native Adja, he is fluent in English, French, Fon and Mina.

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* This supersedes Press Release SG/A/2064 of 30 September 2021.