| Valentine Sendanyoye Rugwabiza | |
| Office: | Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Central African Republic and Head of the United Nations |
| Appointer: | António Guterres |
| Country: | Rwanda |
| Predecessor: | Mankeur Ndiaye |
| Term Start: | 23 February 2022 |
| Ambassador | |
| Birth Place: | Rwanda |
| Office1: | Permanent Representative of Rwanda to United Nations |
| Office2: | Deputy Director General of the World Trade Organization |
| Termstart2: | 2005 |
| Termstart1: | November 2016 |
| Termend2: | 2013 |
| Termend1: | February 2022 |
| Alma Mater: | National University of Zaire |
| Appointer1: | Paul Kagame |
| Spouse: | John Paulin Sendanyoye |
| Occupation: | Economist, Businesswoman |
Valentine Sendanyoye Rugwabiza (born 25, July 1963) is a Rwandan businesswoman and politician who has served as the country's Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2016 to 2018. She now is the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of MINUSCA, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic.[1] [2]
Rugwabiza was born on 25 July 1963. She has a bachelor's and a master's degree in economics from the National University of Zaire.[3]
For eight years, Rugwabiza worked for Swiss multinational company Hoffmann-La Roche, first as the head of commercial development and marketing for Central Africa in Yaoundé, and then as regional director in Ivory Coast.[4] She returned to Kigali in 1997 to run her own company, Synergy Group.[4] [3]
In 2002, Rugwabiza was appointed Rwanda's ambassador to Switzerland and Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva, serving for three years.[4]
From 2005 until 2013, Rugwabiza was Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organization, the first woman to hold the position.[3] She is a founding member of the Rwanda Private Sector Federation, the Rwanda Women Entrepreneurs’ Organization and the Rwandese Women Leaders’ Caucus.[5]
Rugwabiza was CEO of the Rwanda Development Board from 2013 to 2014.[6] She served as Minister for East African Community from 2014 to 2016. In 2015, she was named as one of Jeune Afrique's "50 powerful women in Africa."[7]
Rugwabiza was appointed Rwanda's Permanent Representative to the United Nations by President Paul Kagame in November 2016.[8] [9] She remains a member of the Cabinet of Rwanda[8] and was a member of the East African Legislative Assembly for a five-year term from 2012 until June 2017.[10]
In February 2022, the UN announced that Valentine Rugwabiza would replace the Senegalese Mankeur Ndiaye at the head of Minusca, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic.[11]
Rugwabiza is married to John Paulin Sendanyoye.[8] [12]