The new Special Representative of the UN Secretary General to South Sudan and head of UNMISS, Ellen Margrethe Løj, arrived in Juba today to take up her new duties. 

She was received at Juba International airport by her deputy, Toby Lanzer, and the Undersecretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Charles Manyang Awuol.

Upon arrival, Ms Løj, said she needs a lot of briefings to know more about South Sudan.

“I will need a lot of briefings and I will need to get to know South Sudan,” she told the media.

Ms. Løj served as the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General and head of the UN mission in Liberia from 2008 to 2012.

The Danish now succeeds Hilde Johnson, who left the position on the 7th of July this year.

Prior to this appointment of July 2014 by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Ellen Margrethe Løj served as the Ambassador to the United Nations for Denmark from 2001 until 2007.

She also served as Denmark’s ambassador to the Czech Republic before she was appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General as Special Representative for Liberia in October 2007.

Løj has a master’s degree in economics from Copenhagen University.