Beninese Damien Mama appointed Deputy Special Representative of the UN in the DRC.

The Beninese diplomat Damien Mama has been appointed Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He will also simultaneously take on the responsibilities of Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator of the UN system in the country.

The official platform of the United Nations Group for Sustainable Development now presents him as “Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General,” Humanitarian Coordinator, and Resident Coordinator in the DRC. This appointment elevates him to the rank of Under-Secretary-General in the UN hierarchy.

Since March 1, 2023, Damien Mama had been serving as the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme in the DRC. He was also acting as the Interim Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator, particularly in the context of responding to security and health crises affecting the eastern part of the country.

A Strategic Function within the UN Framework

Damien Mama’s new role combines three responsibilities. As the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, he will work within the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, alongside the leadership of MONUSCO.

As Resident Coordinator, he will be responsible for coordinating UN agencies, funds, and programs working in the fields of development, governance, health, education, poverty reduction, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

His mandate as Humanitarian Coordinator will also place him at the center of the response to population displacement, armed conflicts, epidemics, food insecurity, and other emergencies affecting millions of people in the DRC. Thus, the position serves as a link between the political, humanitarian, and development aspects of UN action.

In recent months, Damien Mama has been actively involved in coordinating the response to the Ebola outbreak. In June 2026, he traveled to Ituri to assess operations and strengthen support from humanitarian partners for the efforts led by Congolese authorities.

The Beninese official has over 25 years of experience in international development, humanitarian assistance, peacebuilding, public policy support, and program management in fragile contexts.

Before his assignment in the DRC, he was the UN Resident Coordinator in Burundi. He was appointed to this position in September 2021 by Secretary-General António Guterres, with the approval of the Burundian government.

Damien Mama has also served as the Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative of UNDP in Togo. His career within the UN includes roles at MONUSCO in the DRC, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, South Sudan, and within the former United Nations Operation in Burundi.

Notably, he has been the Director of Stabilization and Recovery at MINUSMA, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP in Togo, policy and planning advisor in South Sudan, and regional electoral coordinator in Burundi.

Before joining the United Nations, Damien Mama worked with non-governmental organizations in West Africa on programs related to governance, civic education, and food security.

He holds a master’s degree in development management from Ruhr University Bochum in Germany, as well as a graduate diploma in geography and land use planning from the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin. He is fluent in French and English.