Our Team in Ethiopia

UN Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Ozonnia Ojielo of Nigeria as UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ethiopia in March 2026.

Mr. Ojielo was appointed with the approval of the host government.

Mr. Ojielo brings to the position more than 25 years of experience in sustainable development, governance, peacebuilding and conflict prevention, including overseeing a global portfolio of United Nations programmes and projects across four continents. He most recently served as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Rwanda, where he provided strategic leadership to the United Nations Country Team, strengthened joint delivery, and engaged closely with development partners and senior Government leaders to advance national development priorities. Prior to this assignment, he served as Resident Coordinator in Kyrgyzstan, following his roles as Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and as Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to the Kyrgyz Republic. Within the United Nations system, he previously held several senior leadership roles with UNDP, including Cluster Director for Governance and Peacebuilding at the Regional Service Centre for Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Director for Conflict Prevention and Recovery at the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery at UNDP Headquarters in New York. He also served with UNDP in Kenya and Ghana in various senior capacities.

Before joining the United Nations, Mr. Ojielo worked as an attorney, university lecturer and journalist. He advised truth, justice and reconciliation commissions as well as national human rights institutions in Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia and Sierra Leone. He was President of the Centre for Peace in Africa, a regional non-profit organization based in Nigeria, and is the founder and first president of The Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators, the largest mediation and conciliation organization in Africa. He is also the author of numerous scholarly and technical publications.

Mr. Ojielo holds a PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria; a master’s degree in strategic and project management from the Paris Graduate School of Management in France, and a master's degree in history from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He also has bachelor’s degrees in history and law from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and ASUTECH, respectively, both in Nigeria.

Mr. Ayalew previously worked with the government, academia and civil society on governance, human rights and criminal justice while working as a judge, lecturer, advisor and consultant at law. He graduated with LLB Degree in Law from Addis Ababa University and MPhil from the University of Oslo in the Theory and Practice of Human Rights. Mr. Ayalew was a Chevening Fellow at the University of Wolverhampton in Government Relations with NGOs and Civil Society.

Ms. 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.

Ms. 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.

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. Kasolo is an Infectious Disease Physician with over 35 years of experience leading national and international health initiatives, disease prevention programs, Emergency Response programs and health policy and systems development. He has proven expertise in Clincal Virology, epidemiology, health systems strengthening, and emergency response, with a track record of working with government agencies in Africa, and global health organizations to design and implement evidence-based interventions. He has mobilized substantial funding from GAVI, Global Fund, and Pandemic Fund to support programs regionally and nationally. He is also a keen writer with over 80 publications in Peer Reviewed Journals.

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. Kem brings over 30 years of extensive experience in gender equality, women’s human rights, and inclusive governance. She has held several senior leadership and advisory roles within the UN system, including as UN Women Country Representative in Rwanda, Burundi, and Sudan, Senior Policy Advisor at the UN Women Regional Office for East and Southern Africa, and Senior Gender Advisor for UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa. Her work has consistently focused on advancing women’s leadership, peacebuilding, gender-responsive governance and budgeting, and ending violence against women and girls.

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.

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. Tulu 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. Tulu holds a master’s degree in Agricultural science specializing in Agronomy.

Mr. 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). Mr. Chitima 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.

A Senegalese national, Ms. Ndiaye is a seasoned international civil servant with over 30 years of experience in humanitarian operations, organizational leadership, and strategic management. She has served UNHCR in multiple country operations and senior roles at Headquarters and Regional Bureau. Before Ethiopia, she was UNHCR Representative in Rwanda and Deputy Director for West and Central Africa. She holds master’s degrees in economics, social sciences, and management and is widely respected for her leadership in refugee responses, commitment to protection and solutions, and ability to build strong strategic partnerships.

Mr. Orlando Sosa, a national of Belize, serves as the ad interim FAO Representative in Ethiopia and Agriculture Officer for Eastern Africa. With over 30 years of experience in plant health and agrifood systems, he leads FAO’s strategic operations and technical programming. He has held senior leadership roles within FAO, focusing on sustainable crop production and resilience aligned with AU and IGAD priorities. Mr. Sosa holds an MSc in Entomology and Crop Protection and is fluent in English and Spanish.

Mr. Prince Bruce has over twenty-five years’ experience in the UN with UNDSS. Prince has extensive experience in humanitarian operations and physical security. A veteran of the US Army, Mr. Bruce holds a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice administration and planning and a master’s in public administration from Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. Mr. Bruce hails from Accra, Ghana. He is married with two daughters.

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, Ms. Bissoonauth brings on board over 20 years a wealth of experience from national and international missions. Ms. 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. Rob Syfret is the Chief of the Mine Action Programme in Ethiopia. Mr. Syfret, from the UK, took up his role in December 2025. This is his first UN deployment. Mr. Syfret worked in the Humanitarian Mine Action sector for The HALO Trust for ten years deployed in Sri Lanka, Syria, Libya, Nagorno Karabakh and Angola, and as a regional manager for Angola, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Somalia and Somaliland. Before that, he studied history at Glasgow University and served in the army.

Before assuming his current position, Mr. Adejumobi served for seven years as Director of the ECA Sub‑regional Office for Southern Africa in Lusaka, Zambia, and earlier as Director of the Governance and Public Administration Division at ECA. He holds a PhD in Political Science with a focus on governance and international political economy and brings more than three decades of experience in development theory, policy and practice. His published scholarly work includes 12 edited or authored books and over 70 journal articles and book chapters.

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. 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.

Mr. Scelo Zibagwe is an urban development specialist with over 22 years of experience in practice, research, results-based management, and capacity development across international and academic institutions. He has held senior and programme roles with UN-Habitat, OHCHR, and the African Union Commission, contributing to UNSDCF-aligned programming, regional and country programme development, Agenda 2063 reporting, and Habitat III negotiations. He previously worked in academia and urban planning in Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. A Zimbabwean national, he holds a PhD in Social Anthropology and degrees in urban and rural planning.

Mr. Kargbo oversees UNIDO Country Representatives in Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, and serves as UNIDO’s Special Representative to the AU and UNECA. With over 35 years’ experience in teaching, research, management, and development cooperation, he has served in NGOs, academia, UNDP, FAO, and UNIDO, including post-conflict contexts. He previously led UNIDO’s Regional Office in China and Tanzania, and earlier worked in Ethiopia. He holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics.

Ms. Worknesh Mekonnen 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. Ms. Mekonnen 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.