NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF SOUTH SUDAN PRESENTS CREDENTIALS TO ACTING DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF UNOG

Alison Monani Magaya, the new Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Sudan to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented his credentials to Michael Møller, the Acting Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Prior to his appointment to Geneva, Mr. Magaya served as the first Minister of Interior of the Government of South Sudan, following the country’s independence in 2011. Between the years of 2001 and 2010 Mr. Magaya was the Minister of Labour, Public Service and Human Resource Development of the Government of Sudan, previously holding the office of Minister of Man Power of Sudan from 2000 to 2001. Concurrently to his Ministerial positions Mr. Magaya acted as the Chairperson of Juba University Council, from 1996 to 2009, and also as the Deputy Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the National Fund for Peace from 1996 to 2000.

Mr. Magaya served as the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Sudan from 1996 to 1999, and was a Member of the Transitional National Assembly from 1992. In 1989 Mr. Magaya was appointed as the Governor of the Equatoria Region of Sudan, a position he held for three years. Earlier in his career Mr. Magaya undertook a tour of duty to Belgrade as the Defence Attaché of Sudan accredited to the former Yugoslavia, Romania and Greece, from 1980 until 1982. Between 1988 and 1990 Mr. Magaya was the Infantry Divisional Commander, in addition to holding other military and teaching posts between the years of 1972 and 1988.

A retired general of the Sudan Army and a senior member of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), Mr. Magaya holds a Fellowship in Defence Studies from the Nasser High Military Academy in Cairo, Egypt (1986) and a Master’s Degree in Military Science from the Command and Staff College of Sudan (1977). Mr. Magaya received military officer training by Israel in the Anyanya Movement (1970). He holds various certificates in the field of military and international affairs and has published several books and articles on the subject. He took part in the peace process which led to the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between South Sudan and Sudan in 2005.

Mr. Magaya speaks fluent English, Arabic and Zande (mother tongue). His hobbies include writing, reading, jogging and volleyball. Mr. Magaya is married and has five sons and four daughters.


For use of the information media; not an official record

CR15/004E