Departing UN Envoy El Hillo Gets Liberia’s Honor For ‘Touching Many Lives’
L-R: outgoing Resident Coordinator of the United Nations to Liberia, Mr. Yacoub El Hillo being decorated with Liberia’s Honor by President George Weah
By Justice R. Clarke
The Government of Liberia has bestowed distinguished honor upon the outgoing Resident Coordinator of the United Nations, Mr. Yacoub El Hillo, having considered his enormous contributions to the cause of humanity, especially the people of Liberia.
The UN envoy has been transferred to Libya by Secretary General Antonio Guterres as Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator with the rank of Assistant Secretary General. His new assignment takes effect on the 1st of September.
During the investiture ceremony Thursday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President George Manneh Weah, the Grand Master of the Honors of Distinction of the Republic of Liberia, admitted El Hillo into the Grand Order of the Star of Africa (SOA) and conferred upon him the grade of Grand Commander (GC).
Pres. Weah expressed his government and people’s gratitude to Mr. El Hillo for his invaluable contributions in promoting peace and unity in Liberia.
“Yacoub, you’re part of us and we’ll always pray for you and we hope that you come back home, again,” said President Weah.
In 1996, just before the infamous “April 6” war in Liberia, El Hillo was appointed by the United Nations as Senior Protection Officer of UNHCR, when the country had half a million of its citizens living in internally displaced camps, and some 800,000 others seeking refuge outside of the country.
That mission ended in January 1999 for a new post of Executive Assistant to the United Nations’ Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees in New York, after which El Hillo served in various high profile capacities with the UN in humanitarian works in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Tanzania, and Kenya, among other countries.
He was, again, sent to Liberia in 2016 as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General for Peace Consolidation with the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), and later appointed as United Nations Resident Coordinator and UNDP Representative in Liberia, a post he now leaves.
In remarks after he was decorated by President Weah, Mr. El Hillo described the honor as shared with the United Nations Secretary General and the entire UN family, adding: “I think it is quite evident that the emotions are overpowering and I am truly humbled and wholeheartedly accept the honor bestowed upon me.”
He said as he prepares to leave Liberia, he is clear in his mind that the nation is most definitely on the right trajectory as opposed to the time (in 1999) when he first departed, being doubtful of where the country was heading because of the many years of difficulty it had gone through.
Despite the challenges Liberia experienced, he continued, the country has been resilient and has come a long way in a short period of time, when not long ago it was a recipient of the UN peacekeeping support but has now become a proud donor or contributor to UN peacekeeping operations in Mali.
Moreover, he pointed out that while citizens look up to the government to address social needs; it was equally important that everyone, irrespective of backgrounds and views, works in unison with the government to sustain the peace and support development programs.
“Mr. President, yes; sometimes there is agitation, sometimes there is frustration, but this is all part of a human process of wanting the best out of life and working the best out of a country—and this is where Liberia has proved and shown to the world that peace is possible,” said El Hillo, a remark followed by a toast to his investiture.
Born in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, in 1963, El Hilo joined the UN in 1989, serving as Resettlement Assistant and helping thousands of refugees mainly from Ethiopia resettle in Europe, North America, and Australia.
