MFA Press Statement: Presentation of Credentials Ceremony, 28 June 2007

RESENTATION OF CREDENTIALS CEREMONY
28 JUNE 2007

The following foreign Heads of Mission presented their credentials to President S R Nathan in separate ceremonies at the Istana today:

(a) The High Commissioner of the Kingdom of Swaziland,
His Excellency Clifford Sibusiso Mamba;

(b) The Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,
His Excellency Haron Amin; and

(c) The Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia,
His Excellency Hailekiros Gessesse.

The curricula vitae of His Excellency Clifford Sibusiso Mamba, His Excellency Haron Amin and His Excellency Hailekiros Gessesse are attached.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
28 JUNE 2007

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CLIFFORD SIBUSISO MAMBA
HIGH COMMISSIONER
KINGDOM OF SWAZILAND

BORN: 5 May 1963, Matsapha, Swaziland

AGE: 44

MARITAL STATUS: Married with two children

EDUCATION:

BSc (Social Science), Middlesex University, London, UK, 1984. Majors in Politics & Economics and International Relations amongst subjects studied.
Seoul Institute of International Affairs & Strategic Studies, Diploma in Orientation Course and in International Diplomacy, Seoul, South Korea, 1991.
Project Management Course, Madnock-London, UK, 1993.

CAREER:
1987 - 1988 Financial Consultant - Mildon & Co, London, UK

1988 - 1990 Finance Officer/Admin Assistant, London Borough of Ealing, Local Government Office, London, UK

1990 - 1991 Export Executive Pasco International (UK) Ltd, London, UK

Jan 1991 Managing Director, Giltfiex International, London, UK, Procurement Consultant/Agent.

Dec 1991 - Dec 1996 Ambassador of the Kingdom of Swaziland to Belgium, concurrently accredited to the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Switzerland and the EU.

Jan 1997 -1999 Ambassador of the Kingdom of Swaziland to the Republic of Korea, concurrently accredited to Japan, Singapore and Brunei.

1999 - 2000 High Commissioner of the Kingdom of Swaziland to Malaysia.

2000 - 2005 Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Swaziland to the United Nations in New York.

2005 - 2007 Principal Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Jan 2007 High Commissioner-designate to Singapore, resident in Mbabane (Swaziland)

28 June 2007 High Commissioner to Singapore, resident in Mbabane

OTHER APPOINTMENTS:

1993 - 1995 Vice Chairman of Intra-ACP Co-operation Sub-Committee of Ambassadors, Brussels

Oct 1994 Leader of Swaziland's Delegation to the 19th Session of the ACP/EU Joint Assembly-Libreville, Gabon.

2000 - 2002 Chief of Swaziland's Delegation to the United Nations General Assembly

HOBBIES: Athletics, Tennis, Golf, Music and Reading, Sports & Political Publications.

OTHER ACTIVITIES: National Representation in Sports (Athletics):
• Commonwealth Games, Brisbane, Australia, 1982
• World Student Game, Edmonton, Canada, 1983
• Los Angles Olympics, California, US, 1984
• Zone Six International Athletics Competition, Gaberone, Botswana, 1985
• World Student Games, Kobe, Japan, 1985
• Commonwealth Games, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1986
• Inaugural World Indoor Championship, Indianapolis, US, 1987
• Held post of National Team Coach and Captain at various international athletics competitions

. . . . .

HARON AMIN
AMBASSADOR
ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF AFGHANISTAN

BORN: 19 July 1969, Kabul, Afghanistan

AGE: 37

EDUCATION:
Master of Arts in Political Science
St John's University, New York, May 2005
Certificate of International Law in the Master's Program
St John's University
Undergraduate Studies at Pasadena City College and University of California, Riverside

CAREER:
1988 Joined anti-Soviet Resistance under Commander Ahmad Shah Massoud

1990 Represented the Resistance before US Congress and Administration

1995 Special Aide, Ministry of Defence

1995 Chief of Staff, the Afghan Foreign Service, Office of the Deputy Foreign Minister

1997 Chief of Staff, Office of the Foreign Minister and later as Prime Minister

1998 First Secretary and later as Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the UN

Sep 2001 Spokesperson for the anti-Taliban UNIFSA Resistance Front (conducted over 1,500 interviews with major international TV and print media)

Jan 2002 Charge d'Affaires and Minister -Counsellor Afghan Embassy in Washington DC

Jun 2002 Deputy Chief of Mission and Minister Plenipotentiary, Afghan Embassy in Washington DC

Jul 2003 Charge d'Affaires and Minister Plenipotentiary, Afghan Embassy in Washington DC

Feb 2004 Ambassador-designate to Japan, resident in Tokyo

Nov 2004 -2005 Appointed Visiting Professor, Takushoku University

Apr 2004
to date Ambassador to Japan, resident in Tokyo

Aug 2006 Ambassador-designate to Singapore, resident in Tokyo

28 June 2007 Ambassador to Singapore, resident in Tokyo

. . . . .

HAILEKIROS GESSESSE
AMBASSADOR
FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA

BORN: 24 August 1952, Mekele, Ethiopia

AGE: 54

MARITAL STATUS: Married
Has three children

EDUCATION:
Completed 12th Grade, Atse Yohannes Comprehensive High School, 1971
MA Degree (majored in Political Science), University of Amsterdam, 1992 - 1994

CAREER:
1974 - 1977 Activist in the student movement

1977 Joined Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF)

1980 - 1983 Representative of Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) in North America and Chairperson of the Union of Tigray in North America (UTNA)

1984 - 1990 Representative of the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) in Europe (stationed in London)

1990 - 1991 Representative of the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) in Sudan

1991 - 1994 Member, House of People's Representatives (MP) - during the Transitional Government of Ethiopia

1991 - 2005 Head, Foreign Relations Bureau, Ethiopia People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) (the ruling party in Ethiopia)

1995 Elected to the House of People's Representatives (MP) of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE)

1995 - 2000 Member, Administrative Standing Committee in the House of People's Representatives, FDRE

2000 Re-elected to the House of People's Representatives (MP), FDRE

2000 - 2005 Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs, Defense and National Security Standing Committee of the House of People's Representatives, FDRE

2000 - 2005 Member, Executive Committee of the African Parliamentary Union (APU) (representing the Ethiopian Parliament)

Dec 2002 - Feb 2003 Chief Coordinator, First Extraordinary Summit and Second Extraordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union held in Addis Ababa

2002 to date Special Envoy, Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, FDRE

2002 to date Board Member, Relief Society of Tigray (REST)

2002 to date Council Member, Endowment Fund for the Rehabilitation of Tigray (EFERT)

2003 - 2005 President, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Ethiopian Group

2003 - Feb 2006 Board Member, City Government of Addis Ababa Sanitation, Beautification and Parks Development Agency

2004 Elected by the House of People's Representatives of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) to the Pan African Parliament (PAP)

2004 - 2005 Rapporteur, East African Caucus Group of Pan African Parliament (PAP)

2004 - Feb 2006 Member, Foreign Relations and Conflict Resolution Committee of the Pan African Parliament (PAP)

Mar 2006 to date

Feb 2007
Ambassador to the People's Republic of China, resident in Beijing

Ambassador-designate to Singapore, resident in Beijing

28 June 2007 Ambassador to Singapore, resident in Beijing

LANGUAGES: English, Amharic and Tigrigna

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