United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Alice Wairimu Nderitu of Kenya as Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide.

Ms Nderitu succeeds Adama Dieng of Senegal.

A statement from the Secretary-General’s office said Nderitu has been a recognized voice in the field of peacebuilding and violence prevention, having led as a mediator and senior adviser in reconciliation processes among communities in Kenya, as well as in other African settings.

She served as Commissioner of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission in Kenya (2009-2013) as well as Founding Member and co-Chair of the Uwiano Platform for Peace, a prevention agency linking early warning to early response in Kenya.

Ms Nderitu is also the founder of Community Voices for Peace and Pluralism, a network of African women professionals preventing, transforming and solving violent, ethnic, racial and religious conflicts worldwide.