U.S President Barack Obama has announced his intent to nominate Mary Catherine Phee, as new Ambassador of the United States of America to South Sudan.

The announcement was made at the White Houses in Washington DC yesterday.

Mary Catherine Phee, a career member of the Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, is currently Chief of Staff at the Office of the Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, a position she has held since 2014.

Previously, she served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 2011 to 2014.

She also served in the Department of State as Director for Iraq at the National Security Council from 2009 to 2011, she also served as a Counselor for Political Affairs at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations from 2005 to 2008.

Madam Phee served in various senior positions in the U.S government. She will be the second U.S Ambassador to South Sudan, succeeding Dr. Susan Page, who ended her mandate as U.S Ambassador to South Sudan this year.