UN Secretary-General Appoints New Africa Advisors
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UN Secretary-General Appoints New Africa Advisors
- UN Secretary-General António Guterres has recently made several key appointments to his Africa team, including Martin Kimani of Kenya as Assistant Secretary-General for Africa.
- These appointments come as Guterres prepares to conclude his second five-year term on December 31, 2026.
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United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has been actively reshaping his team of advisors focused on the African continent in the lead-up to the end of his term. On September 14, 2026, Martin Kimani of Kenya was appointed as the new Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO). Kimani brings 25 years of experience in international relations, peace and security, and multilateral diplomacy to this role, succeeding Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee of Ghana. Prior to this appointment, Kimani served as Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York from 2020 to 2024.
Just a week later, on September 21, 2026, Guterres also announced the appointment of Saada Daher Hassan of Djibouti as the new Director of Political Affairs and Deputy Head of the United Nations Office to the African Union. Ms. Hassan has 25 years of experience in international relations and multilateral diplomacy. Earlier in June 2026, Ahunna Eziakonwa from Nigeria was named Special Adviser on Africa, taking over from Cristina Duarte of Cabo Verde. Eziakonwa has nearly three decades of UN leadership experience and, in her previous role, oversaw UNDP’s support to 46 African countries in pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
These personnel changes occur as the selection process for the next UN Secretary-General is well underway, with Guterres’ second term concluding on December 31, 2026. Eight candidates are currently vying to succeed him.