United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Kenya’s Amakobe Sande the UN Resident Coordinator in Eritrea after the host Government approved.

Sande brings to the post more than 25 years of experience in international cooperation, development coordination, strategic management, peacebuilding and humanitarian affairs.

Amakobe Sande. PHOTO/UN

She has worked in various positions at the United Nations as well as other organizations.

In UN, Sande held leadership posts with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), including recently, as the Country Director and Representative to China.

She also worked as Senior Gender Equality Adviser and Team Leader for Country Support in the UNAIDS Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa, UNAIDS Country Coordinator in Lesotho as well as Country Director in Malawi and Uganda.

Amakobe Sande. PHOTO/UN

Before joining UN, Sande held senior posts with international NGOs led by Oxfam, where she served as the Regional Manager for Southern Africa, Regional Manager for Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the Commonwealth of Independent States (Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia), Deputy Country Representative in Rwanda, and Country Director in Zambia.

The incoming UN Resident Coordinator in Eritrea once also served as the Director for the Southern Africa Partnership programme of ActionAid International.

She holds a bachelor’s degree with honours in International Relations and a Master’s degree in Development Studies.