Aïchatou Mindaoudou Souleymane (born 1959)
. African Development Information Database. Accessed 2009-05-18 is a

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesUnited Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

' Special Representative for

Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

and Head of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire ( UNOCI) from 2013 to 2017. Previously she was Deputy Joint Special Representative (Political) in the African Union–United Nations Hybrid Operation in

Darfur Darfur ( ; ar, دار فور, Dār Fūr, lit=Realm of the Fur) is a region of western Sudan. ''Dār'' is an Arabic word meaning "home f – the region was named Dardaju ( ar, دار داجو, Dār Dājū, links=no) while ruled by the Daju, ...

(UNAMID) from 2011 to 2013. A member of the

MNSD-Nassara The National Movement for the Development of Society (french: Mouvement National pour la Société du Développement, MNSD-Nassara) is a political party in Niger. Founded under the military government of the 1974–1990 period, it was the ruling ...

political party, Mindaoudou served in the government of Niger as Minister of Social Development from 1995 to 1996; subsequently she was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1999 to 2000 and again from 2001 to 2010.

Career in national politics

In the first government of Prime Minister

Hama Amadou Hama Amadou (born 1949) is a Nigerien politician who was Prime Minister of Niger from 1995 to 1996 and again from 2000 to 2007. He was also Secretary-General of the National Movement for the Development of Society (MNSD-Nassara) from 1991 to 200 ...

, named on 25 February 1995, Mindaoudou was Minister of Social Development, Population and the Advancement of Women. This government was ousted in a military coup on 27 January 1996. After another coup in April 1999, Mindaoudou was named Minister of Foreign Affairs and African Integration on 16 April 1999, under the transitional military regime of

Daouda Malam Wanké Daouda Malam Wanké (May 6, 1946 – September 15, 2004) was a military and political leader in Niger. He was a member of Hausa ethnic group. Wanké's year of birth is disputed. Many sources claim it is 1954 while others 1946. Biography He was ...

. Although she was not included in the new civilian government named on 5 January 2000, she became Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and African Integration in the next government, which was named on 17 September 2001. Mindaoudou remained in the government of Prime Minister Seyni Oumarou, appointed in June 2007, despite President

Tandja Mamadou Mamadou Tandja (1938 – 24 November 2020) was a Nigerien politician who was President of Niger from 1999 to 2010. He was President of the National Movement for the Development Society (MNSD) from 1991 to 1999 and unsuccessfully ran as the MNSD ...

's decision that ministers who had served in the government for over five years should be excluded from the government on this occasion. Mindaoudou was made an exception because it was considered important to maintain continuity in the conduct of foreign affairs. Mindaoudou's term as foreign minister ended in March 2010 when the transitional cabinet of

Mahamadou Danda Mahamadou Danda (born 25 July 1951Maman Chaïbou, ''Répertoire biographique des personnalités de la classe politique'', volume 2 (2000), page 463 .) is a Nigerien political figure who was appointed as Prime Minister of Niger by the Supreme Coun ...

took office.

Career with the United Nations

Mindaoudou was appointed as Deputy Joint Special Representative (Political) in the African Union–United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) by the

United Nations Secretary-General The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or SG) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the six principal organs of the United Nations. The role of the secretary-ge ...

Ban Ki-moon Ban Ki-moon (; ; born 13 June 1944) is a South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations between 2007 and 2016. Prior to his appointment as secretary-general, Ban was his country's Minister ...

and the

Chairperson of the African Union The Chairperson of the African Union is the ceremonial head of the African Union (AU) elected by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government for a one-year term. It rotates among the continent's five regions. A candidate must be selected by ...

, Jean Ping, on 13 May 2011. Two years later, she was instead appointed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as Special Representative for Côte d'Ivoire and Head of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire on 17 May 2013. In 2020, the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...

(WHO) appointed Mindaoudou as co-chair (alongside

Julienne Lusenge Julienne Lusenge is a Congolese human rights activist recognized for advocating for survivors of wartime sexual violence. She is co-founder and President of Female Solidarity for Integrated Peace and Development (SOFEPADI) and director of the Cong ...

) of a seven-person independent commission to investigate claims of sexual exploitation and abuse by aid workers during the 2018 Ebola outbreak in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

(DRC).Sexual Assault: WHO names independent body to investigate DRC sex abuse claims
''

Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...

'', October 15, 2020.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mindaoudou, Aichatou 1959 births Living people Female foreign ministers Foreign ministers of Niger National Movement for the Development of Society politicians Special Representatives of the Secretary-General of the United Nations Women government ministers of Niger 20th-century women politicians 21st-century women politicians Nigerien women diplomats