Our Team in Ethiopia

Dr. Alakbarov has 28 years of experience in executive leadership, strategic planning and policy making, development programming and management, and humanitarian response.

Prior to his current assignment, Dr. Alakbarov served as Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) where he was also the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator.

Dr. Alakbarov has also served in several positions within the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), including as Deputy Executive Director for Management and UN Reforms (ad-interim) and Director of the Policy and Strategy Division in New York, Country Representative in Haiti, Deputy Regional Director of the Regional Office for Arab States and Head of the Office in South Sudan. Prior to these positions, he served in various roles at UNFPA supporting country programmes in Arab States, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, including as Programme Officer covering Sudan, Somalia, and Iraq and as Humanitarian Response Officer for Operations, in Afghanistan, Palestine and the Great Lakes Region.

From 1992 to 1995 he was an Assistant Professor at Azerbaijan Medical University and a practicing physician.

He carries MD. and Ph.D. degrees in internal medicine from Azerbaijan Medical University and M.A. in International Relations from Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Boston, M.A.

Mrs. Abibatou Wane-Fall is a national of Senegal and has been working with IOM for almost 22 years. Before arriving in Ethiopia, she was Chief of Mission in Ghana, Togo and Benin. Prior to this, she served as IOM Chief of Mission in Burkina Faso, Zambia and Niger. She has also formerly served in various capacities at the IOM Regional Office in Dakar and IOM Headquarters in Geneva. She holds a master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Siena (Italy) and a Postgraduate Diploma (DES) in Political Sciences (International Relations) from the University of Geneva. She speaks French, English and Italian.

Dr Kijazi has more than 30 years of working experience in Meteorology at national and international levels. Before her appointment, she was the Director General of the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) and Permanent Representative (PR) of Tanzania with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Third Vice President of the Word Meteorological Organization (WMO). She has also served as a member and Co-Chair of the UN 10 Member Group to support the Technology Facilitation Mechanism (TFM). Dr Kijazi holds a PhD and MSc in Meteorology from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and a BSc in Meteorology from the University of Nairobi, Kenya.

Mr. Aklile Mitiku Habtemariam is the Country Manager for Ethiopia at the International Trade Centre (ITC). He has over 18 years of experience in trade promotion, development and trade related technical assistance. Prior to joining ITC, he worked for the then Ethiopian Export Promotion Agency. Aklile holds a master’s degree in International Trade Law and Economics from the University of Bern, a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Addis Ababa University, and a diploma of advanced studies in Corporate Social Responsibility from the University of Geneva.

Prior to his current assignment, Andrew served as Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for Ethiopia, coordinating the humanitarian response in Northern Ethiopia. Andrew also served as UNHCR Principal Emergency Coordinator at UNHCR HQ from 2019 to 2021, and as UNHCR Representative in Bangladesh in 2018. Andrew has worked with UNHCR for over 30 years, with field postings in Africa - Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Gambia; Asia - Pakistan and Bangladesh; and Europe – North Macedonia, as well as at the UNHCR HQ. Andrew holds a MA degree in Development Studies from Erasmus University in the Netherlands. He is also a certified innovation facilitator.

Ms. Mukarubuga is the Country Representative for UN Women Ethiopia with over 30 years of experience as a development leader for Government, UN, and International NGOs. Ms. Mukarubuga is a Rwandese, and she served as an International Gender Expert at the Office of the President of Togo and prior to that as UNFPA Resident Representative in Togo. She also served as the UN WOMEN Regional Director for West Africa.

Ms. Mukarubuga holds M.A. in Social Sciences (International Community Development) from Southern New Hampshire University, USA, and a Certificate in Conflict Management from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.

Mrs. Diane SAYINZOGA is a Rwandese with extensive work experience in development related areas such as trade and Investment promotion, Special Economic Zones (SEZs), SMEs support and gender promotion. Before joining UNCTAD, she worked for the Rwanda Development Board (RDB). She also served as Advisor in the office of the Executive Director at the International Trade center (ITC), under the Mo Ibrahim Leadership Fellowship program. She also worked for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning in Rwanda. She has a Masters degree in International and Development Economics from the Economic School of Louvain – Belgium.

Prior to this appointment, Dr Kaluwa served as a WHO Country Representative for South Africa from 2019 to 2024; for Ghana from 2015 to 2019 and for Eswatini from 2009 to 2015. Dr Kaluwa is specialized in Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine from the Free University of Berlin in Germany. He has almost three decades of work experience in public health, particularly in HIV/AIDS, epidemiological surveillance, strategic planning, programme development including monitoring and evaluation. Dr. Kaluwa joined the WHO Regional Office for Africa in 2002. He is a national of Malawi.

Dr. Kampo served as Director of Health Programmes at UNICEF Headquarters in New York. Before that, he served as UNICEF Country Representative in Afghanistan and Cote d’Ivoire and has held senior leadership positions across various International NGOs and UN Agencies over the last 18 years. Dr. Kampo is a Medical Doctor and Public Health Specialist. He is an expert in development aid and humanitarian assistance, and has worked as a physician/surgeon in hospitals and clinics in rural and urban areas in Africa and Asia. He is a national of Mali.

Dr. Manasseh is a telecommunications/ICT expert. Prior to his current position, he was a Director of Industry Affairs, at Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA). He was also a Councillor for the United Republic of Tanzania in the ITU. He worked as a Lecturer at Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technologies in Tanzania; and as an Assistant Professor at Hiroshima University. Dr. Manasseh holds Doctor of Engineering (Dr. Eng.) and Masters of Engineering (M.Eng.) from Hiroshima University, Japan; and BSc. in Telecommunications Engineering from the University of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

Ms. Farayi Zimudzi is a Zimbabwean national and holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences and Master of Science in Aquaculture. Prior to her post, she was FAO Representative in Namibia. She has also served in the Regional Office for Africa in Accra, Ghana as well as in the Emergency and Rehabilitation Division at FAO Headquarters in Rome as Programme Advisor in the Global Food Security Cluster.

Mr. (Nana) Francis Yaw Asamoah Okai has more than 28 years of experience in Security Management, Crises Management and Leadership. Nana has vast experience in humanitarian operations, physical security, management of large security establishments and staff, and security coordination of global UN conferences. Prior to his current assignment, Nana served as the Security Coordination Officer with UN Office to the African Union (UNOAU), Chief of Security and Safety Services with International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) Arusha, and Deputy Chief of Security and Safety Services with UNECA, Addis Ababa.

With a background in architecture and urban planning, Haregewoin worked with design, construction and consultancy works for 15+ years before joining UN Habitat in 2019. She has MA in Urban Land and Property Valuation and MSC in Real Estate Management.

Mr. Ndaba, a South African national, brings a wealth of experience in public service to the ILO. He most recently served as Deputy Director-General for Corporate Support Services at the South African Department of Social Development in Pretoria. Prior to this role, Mr. Ndaba held the position of Deputy Director-General for Labour Relations, Remuneration, and Management at the South African Department of Public Service and Administration, from 2010 to 2016. In the past, he also held various positions in South Africa, including as Regional Secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU).

Mr. Kouame is an accomplished development professional with 30 years of experience in Leadership, Management and Advocacy on Population and Reproductive Health-related issues.

Before his recent appointment, he was the UNFPA Representative in Madagascar and Country Director for Comoros, Mauritius and Seychelles; after similarly occupying the post of Representative for UNFPA in Afghanistan and in Papua New Guinea.

A national of Côte d'Ivoire, he is holder of an Executive Master's degree in Management of International Organisations from the Bocconi School of Management, Italy; a Master's degree in Demography from the Institute for Demographic Training and Research (IFORD) in Yaoundé, Cameroon and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

Krittayawan Boonto of Thailand brings 30 years of leadership experience at both country-level and global role in policy development, programme coordination. In 2020, she was posted in Geneva, Switzerland as UNAIDS Coordinator for the development of the Global AIDS Strategy. Prior to Ethiopia, Ms Boonto was the UNAIDS Country Director for Indonesia and also worked as an advisor with UNAIDS in Myanmar. In her career span, Ms Boonto has worked at UN-ESCAP, UNICEF and UNAIDS. Ms Boonto holds a master’s degree in management information systems from Assumption University, Thailand. She is fluent in English, Thai, Bahasa Indonesia and has basic command of French and Burmese.

Mr Akpovo is a Benin national. He is a Lawyer and an International Communications, Security and Defence Expert. He possesses 30 years of international experience as a Human Rights, Rule of Law, Conflict, Development, Peace and Security specialist. His extensive professional roles span across a broad range of thematic portfolios and Regions, where he served at senior management and leadership positions.

Ms. Margaret Oduk, an environment policy expert, has been with UN Environment Programme for over 15 years in different capacities. Prior to her current post, she was UNEP’s Focal Point for global Biodiversity - Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) managing several high-profile projects. Ms. Oduk is an Alumni of the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies. A Kenyan national, Ms. Oduk has a Ph.D in Resource and Environmental Management from the Australian National University in Canberra Australia.

Before taking this position in July 2017, Mr. Mathewos served as head of the then UNISDR Sub-Reginal Office in Addis Ababa, Disaster Risk Reduction Advisor to the African Union Commission and to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development. Mr Tulu also worked for more than 20 years for the government of Ethiopia in different capacities including Director of the Disaster Risk Management and Food Security Sector of the Ministry of Agriculture. Mr. Mathewos holds a master’s degree in Agricultural science specializing in Agronomy.

Mawira Chitima leads IFAD's work in Ethiopia, Eritrea and South Sudan. He has over 30 years of experience. He joined IFAD in 2016 and has previously served in various management and leadership positions with the Government of Zimbabwe; Eswatini Water and Agriculture Development Enterprise; Climate Resilient Infrastructure Development Facility; Qualifresh Zimbabwe, and Technoserve (Zimbabwe). He has also served as Lead Global Technical Specialist for water and rural infrastructure at IFAD. Before moving to his current role, he led investment programme development in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe. He holds an MSc in Agricultural Engineering (Irrigation), Crainfield University, UK. He has extensive experience in the development of country strategies and their implementation as well as in climate resilient infrastructure development, portfolio investment and management.

He holds an MSc in Agricultural Engineering (Irrigation), Crainfield University, UK. He has Extensive Experience in development of Country Strategies and their implementation and in climate resilient infrastructure development, portfolio investment and management and Country Strategies development and implementation.

Monica Nogara is also a focal point for RCO/DCO coordination and support. Previously she served as Chief of Programme Development in the UN-DESA Capacity Development Offices and held various positions related to policy analysis, programme management, strategic planning, and monitoring and evaluation within the Department. She also worked at the World Bank and in UNFPA. She a master’s degree in international political economy from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Padua, Italy.

Prior to this appointment Paul was based in Amman, Jordan for five years, serving as Head of the OCHA Regional Office for the Syria Crisis (ROSC) and subsequently as Head a.i. of the OCHA Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa (ROMENA). Paul has over 23 years of managerial and leadership experience with UN Agencies and NGOs. Since joining OCHA in 2003, Paul has held senior positions in the field and at headquarters, including serving previously as Head of Office in Ethiopia (2015-18), Nepal, Pakistan and Tajikistan.

A holder of a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Quebec in Montreal, Canada, and a master’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Lyon, France, she brings on board over 20 years a wealth of experience from national and international missions. Rita Bissoonauth has previously worked with the African Union. She was a Head of Mission at African Union International Centre for Girls and Women’s Education in Africa (AU/CIEFFA).

Mr. Samuel Gbaydee Doe joined UNDP Ethiopia in 2024 as the new Resident Representative. Mr. Doe comes to Ethiopia after serving as a Resident Representative for UNDP’s South Sudan (2021 –2023) and Sierra Leone (2019-2021) country offices.

Throughout all his assignments Mr Samuel Doe has demonstrated a lifelong commitment towards the core UN principles – leaving no one behind, collaboration and partnership, gender and social inclusion, do no harm, and empowerment. He is a strong advocate for development efforts that are context-specific with local/national ownership and leadership.

Mr. Doe has extensive experience in development work for UNDP, the UN Secretariat, and civil society, particularly around governance, recovery, resilience, policy and planning, and peacebuilding.

Seifu has over 15 years of experience in finance, investment and Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) development. Prior to joining UNCDF, he worked for a development consulting firm and the National Bank of Ethiopia. Seifu holds a master’s degree in Finance and a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the Addis Ababa University.

Worknesh joined UNOPS with over 20 years of work experience in the development sector. She served as Deputy National Director for World Vision Ethiopia, overseeing the operations of over USD 100 million annual funding portfolio. With ActionAid she supported 11 East and Southern Africa country operations as Regional Programme Coordinator. Worknesh has an MBA from the University of Liverpool and a Post Graduate Diploma in Total Quality Management, NESET, India.

Mr. Milišić, of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has over 30 years of experience in humanitarian and development work. He has served with the United Nations (UN) system in North, West, East and Southern Africa, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Before assuming his current position, Mr. Milišić was the UN Resident Coordinator in the United Republic of Tanzania. Mr. Milišić also held several senior positions with the WFP. He was WFP Representative and Country Director in Afghanistan, Mali, Libya, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Lebanon, Somalia, Burundi, and held management positions in the WFP Headquarters, and Regional Bureaus.