𝐌𝐫. 𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐮𝐛𝐚 𝐂𝐞𝐞𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐬

𝐌𝐫. 𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐮𝐛𝐚 𝐂𝐞𝐞𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐬

𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐉𝐔𝐋, 𝟐𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Gambians Abroad is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Yankuba Ceesay as Director responsible for the Middle East Affairs Directorate, effective 13th August 2025.

Mr. Ceesay brings over 20 years of distinguished experience in public administration, diplomacy, and international relations. Prior to his appointment, he served as Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Chancery at the Embassy of the Republic of The Gambia in Doha, State of Qatar, from 27th February 2018 to 25th May 2025. In this role, he played a key part in strengthening bilateral relations between The Gambia and the State of Qatar, while overseeing the administrative and operational functions of the Mission.

Before his posting to Doha, Mr. Ceesay served at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a Counsellor and Desk Officer responsible for Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) matters within the Middle East Directorate. His portfolio included managing multilateral engagements, coordinating OIC-related initiatives, and advancing The Gambia’s strategic interests within the Islamic world.

Mr. Ceesay has also held several senior positions across government, including Principal Assistant Secretary at the Office of the Vice President, and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture. Earlier in his career, he served as Senior Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Interior, and as Assistant Secretary and Desk Officer for Religious Matters at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Religious Affairs, where he also served as Secretary to the National Hajj Commission from 2005 to 2007.

Academically, Mr. Ceesay holds a Master’s Degree in Diplomacy, Law and Global Change from Coventry University, United Kingdom, and a Bachelor’s Degree in International Development Studies from the University of The Gambia. He has participated in numerous national and international training programmes in diplomacy, international relations, public administration, and governance.

In addition to his professional expertise, Mr. Ceesay has working knowledge of Arabic and French, further enhancing his capacity to lead and strengthen The Gambia’s diplomatic engagement in the Middle East region.

As Director of Middle East Affairs, Mr. Ceesay will oversee policy coordination, diplomatic relations, and strategic partnerships with countries and institutions across the Middle East, in line with The Gambia’s foreign policy objectives.