Member, Expert Advisory Group

Issaka Souaré

Issaka Souaré is a member of the UN Standby Team of Senior Mediation Advisers. In
that capacity, he has advised the AU Facilitator in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on the conduct of the national dialogue. In the Central African Republic, he has supported strategic reflections of the UN mission (MINUSCA), the African Union and the CAR Government on a dialogue process with non-state armed groups. He provided advice to the Secretary General’s Personal Envoy on Western Sahara, and has supported the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo to the design of a mediation strategy to guide talks with the Patriotic Resistance Front of Ituri (FRPI). He also supported dialogue related initiatives in Chad, Malawi, Togo, São Tomé and Príncipe, Zambia and Haiti. From 2013-2016 he was Special Adviser to the AU High Representative for Mali and the Sahel, working on the Mali peace processes. Issaka has also served at the AU Commission in policymaking and analysis roles, with a focus on early warning and preventive diplomacy. He speaks Arabic, English and French.