United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, on Wednesday (July 23) announced the appointment of Ellen Margrethe Loj as the new head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Ms. Loj from Denmark replaces Ms. Hilde Johnson whose term expired this month. A spokesperson for the Secretary-General said Ms. Loj had a "wealth of experience in peacekeeping and international affairs".
She served as Special Representative to the Secretary-General and head of the UN mission in Liberia from 2008-2012, and had previously held various senior positions in Denmark's Foreign Affairs Ministry and served as Denmark's Permanent Representative to the UN. In May, the UN Security Council extended UNMISS's mandate for a further six months and revised its mandate to emphasize the protection of civilians and the security, humanitarian and political crisis in South Sudan.