Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah
Encyclopedia
Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah (born November 21, 1940) is a Mauritania
n diplomat
and former senior United Nations
official.
, Senegal
. He studied economics
at the University of Grenoble
and the University of Paris
and political science
at the Sorbonne
. From 1968 to 1985 he held several cabinet-level
posts in the Mauritanian government, including that of Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation
; and Minister of Trade and Transportation. He has also been Mauritania's Ambassador
to Belgium
, Luxembourg
, the Netherlands
, the European Union
and the United States
. Moreover, he was Chief Executive Officer at Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière de Mauritanie the largest mining company and cooperation in Mauritania.
Between 1985 and 1993, Ould-Abdallah worked as adviser on energy, including renewable energies and African issues, to the United Nations Secretary-General. From 1993 to 1995, he was Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali
's Special Representative in Burundi
, during the first part of the Burundi Civil War
. Between 1996 and 2002, he served as the Executive Secretary of the Global Coalition for Africa, a Washington D.C. based intergovernmental forum dedicated to African issues. In 2002, Secretary General Kofi Annan
appointed him Special Representative for West Africa at the head of the United Nations Office for West Africa
.
From 2003-2007, Ould-Abdallah was jointly Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and Chairman of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission. He was successful in supporting the peaceful settlement of the land and maritime border dispute between the two countries
In 2006, the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan
sent him on a short-term mission as Special Envoy to Sudan
to clarify the agreement with the Sudanese Government on the proposed UN-AU joint peacekeeping force.
Ould-Abdallah has also been active in the work of non-governmental organization
s, including the Global Coalition for Africa and the World Future Council
, the International Centre for Ethics, Justice and Public Life of Brandeis University
, ICRC, and Search for Common Ground
. He is a co-founder and a member of the Advisory Board of Transparency International
. He is member of the International Advisory Board of the African Press Organization
(APO).
. In this position he mediated peace talks between the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and the UIC (Union of Islamic Courts) and the ARS (Alliance for the Reliberation of Somalia) based in Asmara, Eritrea.
He successfully negotiated the agreement between the two parties. This agreement is known as the Djibouti Agreement It was the first agreement of this kind not sponsored by a specific country, but signed under the auspices of the United Nations
. The African Union, the League of Arab States, the Organisation for Islamic Conference, the United States
, the European Union
, the United Kingdom
and France
were co-signatures to the agreement. Mr. Ould-Abdallah established the well acclaimed steering committee on Somalia
, composed of the United Nations
, African Union
and Intergovernmental Authority on Development
.
In July 2010, after the longest term in Somalia of any United Nations Special Representative, Ould-Abdallah announced his retirement from the United Nations in a farewell letter to the Somali diaspora. He also thanked the leadership of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government
(TFG) with whom he had worked closely. Ould-Abdallah returned to United Nations Headquarters in NY as the Mediator-in-Residence to the Department of Political Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat in November 2010 for his de-briefing.
Commandeur de la Légion d’Honneur, France
Officier de l’Ordre du Lion, Sénégal
Officier de l’Ordre Léopold II, Belgium
Knight Golden Lion Order of the House of Nassau, Luxemburg
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
n diplomat
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
and former senior United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
official.
Background
Ould-Abdallah graduated from secondary school in DakarDakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
, Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
. He studied economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
at the University of Grenoble
University of Grenoble
University of Grenoble or Grenoble University was a university in Grenoble, France until 1970, when it was split into several different institutions:...
and the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
and political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
at the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
. From 1968 to 1985 he held several cabinet-level
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
posts in the Mauritanian government, including that of Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
; and Minister of Trade and Transportation. He has also been Mauritania's Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Moreover, he was Chief Executive Officer at Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière de Mauritanie the largest mining company and cooperation in Mauritania.
Between 1985 and 1993, Ould-Abdallah worked as adviser on energy, including renewable energies and African issues, to the United Nations Secretary-General. From 1993 to 1995, he was Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali
Boutros Boutros-Ghali
Boutros Boutros-Ghali is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1992 to December 1996...
's Special Representative in Burundi
Burundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
, during the first part of the Burundi Civil War
Burundi Civil War
The Burundi Civil War was an armed conflict lasting from 1993 to 2005. The civil war was the result of long standing ethnic divisions between the Hutu and the Tutsi tribes in Burundi...
. Between 1996 and 2002, he served as the Executive Secretary of the Global Coalition for Africa, a Washington D.C. based intergovernmental forum dedicated to African issues. In 2002, Secretary General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
appointed him Special Representative for West Africa at the head of the United Nations Office for West Africa
United Nations Office for West Africa
The United Nations Office for West Africa was established by the United Nations Secretary-General in 2001 to enhance linkages between the United Nations and other partners in the region...
.
From 2003-2007, Ould-Abdallah was jointly Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and Chairman of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission. He was successful in supporting the peaceful settlement of the land and maritime border dispute between the two countries
In 2006, the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
sent him on a short-term mission as Special Envoy to Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
to clarify the agreement with the Sudanese Government on the proposed UN-AU joint peacekeeping force.
Ould-Abdallah has also been active in the work of non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
s, including the Global Coalition for Africa and the World Future Council
World Future Council
The World Future Council is an independent body formally founded in Hamburg, Germany on 10 May 2007. "Formed to speak on behalf of policy solutions that serve the interests of future generations", it includes members active in governmental bodies, civil society, business, science and the arts...
, the International Centre for Ethics, Justice and Public Life of Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
, ICRC, and Search for Common Ground
Search for Common Ground
Search for Common Ground is an international non-profit organization operating in nearly 30 countries whose mission is to transform the way the world deals with conflict – away from adversarial approaches toward cooperative solutions. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with the majority of...
. He is a co-founder and a member of the Advisory Board of Transparency International
Transparency International
Transparency International is a non-governmental organization that monitors and publicizes corporate and political corruption in international development. It publishes an annual Corruption Perceptions Index, a comparative listing of corruption worldwide...
. He is member of the International Advisory Board of the African Press Organization
African Press Organization
Based in Dakar , the African Press Organization - APO is the leading press release wire in Africa, and the global leader in media relations related to Africa....
(APO).
Peace settling at the UN
From September 2007 until July 2010, Ould-Abdallah served as Special Representative for the UN Secretary-General for SomaliaSomalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
. In this position he mediated peace talks between the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and the UIC (Union of Islamic Courts) and the ARS (Alliance for the Reliberation of Somalia) based in Asmara, Eritrea.
He successfully negotiated the agreement between the two parties. This agreement is known as the Djibouti Agreement It was the first agreement of this kind not sponsored by a specific country, but signed under the auspices of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. The African Union, the League of Arab States, the Organisation for Islamic Conference, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
were co-signatures to the agreement. Mr. Ould-Abdallah established the well acclaimed steering committee on Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, composed of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
and Intergovernmental Authority on Development
Intergovernmental Authority on Development
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development is an eight-country regional development organization in East Africa. Its headquarters are located in Djibouti City....
.
In July 2010, after the longest term in Somalia of any United Nations Special Representative, Ould-Abdallah announced his retirement from the United Nations in a farewell letter to the Somali diaspora. He also thanked the leadership of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government
Transitional Federal Government
The Transitional Federal Government is the current internationally recognized government of the Republic of Somalia. It was established as one of the Transitional Federal Institutions of government as defined in the Transitional Federal Charter adopted in November 2004 by the Transitional...
(TFG) with whom he had worked closely. Ould-Abdallah returned to United Nations Headquarters in NY as the Mediator-in-Residence to the Department of Political Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat in November 2010 for his de-briefing.
Books
- Ould-Abdallah, Ahmedou, Burundi on the Brink, 1993-95: A UN Special Envoy Reflects on Preventive Diplomacy, Washington: United States Institute of PeaceUnited States Institute of PeaceThe United States Institute of Peace was created by Congress as a non-partisan, federal institution that works to prevent or end violent conflict around the world...
Press, 2000. ISBN 1-929223-00-5
- Ould-Abdallah, Ahmedou, La Diplomatie Pyromane : Burundi, Rwanda, Somalie, Bosnie… : Entretiens avec Stephen Smith, Paris : Calmann-Levy, 1997. ISBN 978-2702126-72-1
Awards
Officier de l’Ordre National du Mérite, MauritanieCommandeur de la Légion d’Honneur, France
Officier de l’Ordre du Lion, Sénégal
Officier de l’Ordre Léopold II, Belgium
Knight Golden Lion Order of the House of Nassau, Luxemburg