4 September 2009
Secretary-General
SG/A/1198
BIO/4112
PKO/219
Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New
York
Mohamed Yonis of Somalia Appointed Deputy Joint Special
Representative
for Operations and Management in Darfur Hybrid Operation
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and African Union
Chairperson Jean Ping today announced the appointment of Mohamed
Yonis of Somalia as Deputy Joint Speci al Representative for
Operations and Management in the African Union-United Nations
Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID). Mr. Yonis succeeds Hocine
Medili of Algeria. The Secretary-General is grateful to Mr.
Medili for his tireless dedication and invaluable ser vice to the
United Nations over the past 37 years.
Mr. Yonis brings to the mission extensive management and
operational experience, par ticularly in relation to Darfur. He
is currently serving as the Director of Mission Support in
UNAMID, where he has been contributing effectively in addressing
the mission’s oper ational, administrative and logistical support
challenges. Mr. Yonis’s work with these operations began at the
initial planning stages in 2006, when he served as the Head of
the Darfur Planning Team in New York and later as the Mission
Support Adviser to the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS).
His broad management experience in supporting complex mission
deployment activities will greatly contribute to his new role at
UNAMI D.
Mr. Yonis’s prior peacekeeping experience also includes
senior-level assignments in fie ld missions, including serving as
the Chief Administrative Officer with the United Nations Truce
Supervision Organization (UNTSO) from 2002 to 2006 and the Chief
Administrativ e Officer in the Office of the United Nations
Special Coordinator for the Middle East Pea ce Process (UNSCO)
from 2001 to 2002. Prior to service in peacekeeping, he worked
for the African Development Bank in Côte d’Ivoire in various
senior positions, including the Director and Management Adviser
to the President of the Bank and the Deputy Direct or of Human
Resources Management.
Mr. Yonis holds a master’s degree in public administration from
Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in political science
from Miami University. He has a diploma in educa tion from the
Teachers Training College in Hargeisa and Gohrde College in
Germany, and a certificate in conflict management from the
Canadian Institute for Conflict Resolution.
Born in 1947, he is married and has four children.