Senegalese general to head UN peacebuilding office in Central African Republic
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Lieutenant General Babacar Gaye as his Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office for the Central African Republic (BINUCA) based in Bangui.
Lieutenant General Gaye, of Senegal, succeeds Ms. Margaret Vogt of Nigeria.
“The Secretary-General is grateful for Ms. Vogt’s leadership and her efforts to promote peace, security and development in the Central African Republic,” a UN spokesperson said in a statement.
“Lieutenant General Gaye, who currently serves as Assistant Secretary-General and Military Adviser for Peacekeeping Operations, brings to this position many years of diplomatic, political and military experience with the United Nations system and his national Government,” the statement adds.
Lieutenant General Gaye served as Force Commander of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (previously the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)) from 2005 to 2010. He also participated in several peace missions, including in Lebanon and Iraq.
He has held several leadership and staff positions in the Senegalese Government, including Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to Germany and to the United Nations in Vienna (2004-2005), Chief of Defence Staff (2000-2003), Commander of Military Region 6 (1997-2000), Director of Documentation and External Security (1994-1997) and Director of Information and Public Relations (1993-1994).
BINUCA’s conversion in January 2010 to an “integrated” mission was designed to ensure the coherence of peace-building support activities by the various UN entities present in the CAR.
The Office operates under a mandate from the Security Council to help consolidate peace and national reconciliation, strengthen democratic institutions to promote the rule of law, and mobilize international political support and resources for national reconstruction and economic recovery. It also promotes public awareness of human rights issues as well as monitoring developments and strengthening civil society capacity in this regard.