Mohamed El-Amine Souef
Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA)Mr Mohamed El-Amine Souef, a native of the Comoros, was appointed on 27 May 2026 as Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA). He succeeded Ambassador Abdou Abarry of Niger, who headed the Office from November 2022 to February 2026.
Mr Souef brings 35 years’ experience in the fields of diplomacy, foreign affairs and peacekeeping. Within the United Nations, he has held posts with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) (2020–2022 and 2015–2017) and the African Union–United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) (2011–2015). He then joined the African Union, notably as the President’s Special Representative for Somalia and Head of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), as well as its predecessor, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) (2022–2025). Since March 2025, he has held the post of Chief of Staff to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission.
Mr Souef is also a former lecturer at the Hiroshima Peacebuilders Centre in Japan.
Mr Souef has held various senior positions within the Comorian government, including Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (2017–2020 and 1999–2005), Permanent Representative of the Comoros to the United Nations (2006), Member of the National Assembly (2002), Ambassador of the Comoros to Egypt and Permanent Representative to the League of Arab States (1994–1998) and Adviser to the President of the Comoros (1992–1994).
Mr Souef holds a postgraduate degree in modern languages and literature from Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University in Fez, Morocco, as well as a bachelor’s degree in languages and literature from the University of Medina in Saudi Arabia. He also undertook diplomatic training at the Institute of Diplomatic Studies in Egypt (1991) and at the Diplomatic Service Academy in Islamabad, Pakistan (1991–1992). Mr Souef completed the United Nations Leadership Development Programme (LDP). He is the author of six books on politics and geopolitics. In addition to his mother tongue, Comorian, he is fluent in Arabic, English, French and Swahili. In terms of his contribution to the understanding of the geopolitics and history of his country and his continent, he has published six books, including « Les grands défis de la politique étrangère des Comores » (2009) and « Les Comores en mouvement » (2008), all published by Les Editions de la Lune.
MPW Mission Leadership
Saad Adoum
Chief of StaffMr. Saad Adoum assumed his functions as Chief of Staff of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) on 12 October 2026.
Mr. Adoum joins UNOCA from the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and the Department of Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO) at United Nations Headquarters in New York, where he served as Team Leader of the Integrated Operational Team (IOT) supporting the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Prior to this assignment, he served as Head of Office in the Office of the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General with the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). He previously held positions at United Nations Headquarters in the Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations and supported several peacekeeping operations through the IOTs for UNISFA, UNAMID and MINUSMA. He also worked with the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) as a consultant and with international think tanks, including the International Crisis Group, as a political and security analyst.
Mr. Adoum holds a master’s degree in political science from the Institut d’Études Politiques de Bordeaux, France, and a master’s degree in governance and public administration from the University of Antwerp, Belgium.
Eric Mbok
Director of political affairsEric Mbok is a Franco-Cameroonian senior United Nations official with over two decades of experience in political affairs, peacekeeping, and regional diplomacy. He currently serves as Director of Political Affairs at the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) in Libreville.
Throughout his UN career, he has held key leadership roles in peace operations, including Deputy Director/Principal Officer in MONUSCO, and has served as adviser to multiple Special Representatives of the Secretary-General (SRSGs). His work has focused on conflict analysis, political strategy, governance, and regional stabilization efforts across Central and West Africa.
Before joining the United Nations, Mr. Mbok worked in the private sector in Europe, where he gained experience in analysis, management, and consultancy. He holds advanced academic qualifications, including a PhD in Political Science, as well as degrees in African studies and business administration from universities in France. He is fluent in both French and English.
Patricia Adouwa Fynn
Chief of Mission supportMs. Patricia Adouwa Fynn is a Ghanaian Senior United Nations Official and a lawyer by profession. Since 2002, Ms. Fynn has worked in several capacities in the United Nations system including Peace and Governance Officer, UNDP, Monitoring Officer UNMIK Kosovo, Protection of Civilians Officer UNMIS, Khartoum, Chief Board of Inquiry Officer UNMISS South Sudan, Senior Administrative Officer Timbuktu, MINUSMA, Chief of Mission Support UNIOGBIS Guinea Bissau, and Chief of Service Delivery Baghdad, Iraq.
Before joining the United Nations, Ms. Fynn was a Legal Advisor for several corporate entities with specialization in International Law and Conflict Resolution. Ms. Fynn holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law and Classical Civilization and is a Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Ghana where she was called to the Ghanaian Bar in October 1991.
Ms. Fynn is the Chief of Mission Support of the United Nations Regional Office in Central Africa (UNOCA), a position she has held since January 2022 and has served under the leadership of three SRSG.
Ms. Fynn has solid experience in leading and managing the administrative and financial component of peace support operations in volatile and complex security/political environments and leads a vibrant and dynamic team of Mission support colleagues in UNOCA.