The United Nation’s Special Representative and Head of the Mission in South Sudan, Ellen Margrethe Løj has written to the world’s body’s headquarters in New York stating announcing her retirement next month.
The office of the Spokesman of Ban Ki-moon confirmed the development on Friday in a brief press release.
“Ambassador Løj has informed the Secretary-General that she will be stepping down from her role at the end of November, after two years at the head of the UN Mission in South Sudan,” part of the statement said.
Ms. Løj was appointed to the position by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in July 2014 during the height of the bloody civil war that broke out between President Slava Kiir and his former deputy Dr. Riek Machar in December 2013.
She assumed her duties in December 2014 when peace talks between the two rival was taking place in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
The same statement said Ban commended Løj for her devotion during tough times in South Sudan. “The Secretary-General is particularly thankful to SRSG Løj for her dedication, commitment and important contributions at the helm of UNMISS during extremely challenging times.”
ChimpReports understands Løj who served during one of the worst periods of violence in South Sudan, had planned to retire immediately after contract expiry in August this year but the tone of the events changed before this.
War again broke out in July between Kiir and Machar’s armies, forcing the UN Special Representative to cancel her early planned exit and extended it to November this year.
Ms. Løj a career diplomat who served as Danish ambassador to the UN and Czech Republic also served as UN Secretary General Special Representative for Liberia before coming to South Sudan.