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Meet Bintou Keita, the Deputy Joint Special Representative for Darfur

Gain a brief insight into the professional experience of Bintou Keita, a Senior Leader with the United Nations. In October 2015, the United Nations former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and African Union Commission former Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma announced the appointment of Ms. Keita of Guinea as Deputy Joint Special Representative for the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID).

As the Deputy Joint Special Representation for the African Union/UN Hybrid operation in Darfur, referred to by its acronym UNAMID, Ms. Keita supports the Joint Special Representative in leading the UNAMID mission.

The mission’s primary role is to protect civilians. In addition, UNAMID contributes to providing security for humanitarian assistance, monitoring and verifying implementation of agreements, assisting an inclusive political process, contributing to the promotion of human rights and the rule of law, and monitoring and reporting on the situation along the borders with Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR).

Ms. Keita is the deputy leader of a mission that includes 13,614 military troops, 181 military observers, 3,495 police officers and 2,895 civilians, with a budget of $1,039,573,200.

Ms. Keita brings to the position a wealth of experience with more than 25 years of service in the United Nations. Her most recent positions include Ebola Crisis Manager for Sierra Leone and Chief of Staff for the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response. Prior to that, Ms. Keita served in several senior management and leadership functions with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Chad, Congo, Madagascar, Cape Verde, Rwanda, Burundi and New York.  From 2007 to 2010, Ms. Keita was Deputy Executive Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations Integrated Office in Burundi.

She has also worked with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Canadian International Development Agency in Guinea.

Ms. Keita holds a master’s degree in social economy from the University Paris II, France, and a master’s degree in business administration and management from the University of Paris IX, France.


This article is published as part of the global call for Nominations to the Generic Pool of SRSG and DSRSG Candidates, click here to learn more.

Please note: This text is reproduced in part from an official text of the official United Nations website. Click here to read the official press release of the nomination of Ms. Bintou Keita

Photo: UNAMID’s Deputy JSR-Protection, Bintou Keita, visited El Daein, East Darfur, 17 August 2016. She was received at the airport by community leaders, women’s rights activists, state ministers and others active in the political arena. Photo by Abdulrasheed Yakubu, UNAMID.

Find out more about UNAMID

This article was developed in partnership with the United Nations and serves to increase the dissemination and visibility of the Global Call for nominations.
There is no cost associated with submitting nominations and neither the United Nations nor Impactpool charge a fee at any stage of the process.

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