H.E. Jean-Baptiste Natama

H.E. Jean-Baptiste Natama

Chief of Staff

Jean-Baptiste NATAMA is trained as a lawyer, diplomat, military officer, political scientist, poet, essayist and writer. Due to his university qualifications, which include a Military Officer diploma, he occupied various posts in the Ministry of Defense from 1984 to 1990. After serving in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1991 to 1995, he joined the former Organization of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union (AU) in Burundi for one year in 1995, thereafter working for the United Nations (UN) in various countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Rwanda from 1996 to 2002. The AU requested him to launch the Darfur Mission in Sudan. In 2006, he was re-appointed by the highest authorities in his country to lead the African Pear Review Mechanism (APRM) process for seven years, as Permanent Secretary and Focal Point for both APRM and Nepad. A seasoned diplomat who is right at the heart of Africa’s fight for progress, he is counted amongst the most knowledgeable African personalities on international matters. Jean-Baptiste Natama who also has been Deputy to the High Representative for the Operationalization of the African Standby Force is heading the Bureau of the Chairperson of the AU Commission since the 15th of October 2012. He speaks French, English, German, Spanish, Arabic and several African languages of which Kirundi, Kinyarwanda, Swahili, Bambara, Moore, Gulmanceman, Bissa, etc.