Leadership
Honourable Dr. Mamadou Tangara
Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad of the Republic of The Gambia
The Honourable Dr. Mamadou Tangara is the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad of the Republic of The Gambia. He was appointed Minister in 2018. A position he previously held from 2010 to 2012. A consummate diplomat, Dr. Tangara also served as a distinguished member of the Gambian Foreign Service, in his capacity as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of The Gambia to the United Nations in New York. He is reputed for the crucial role played in getting The Gambia back tocommittee of nations as PR and as Foreign Minister from 2017 to date. He also served as Minister of Higher Education, Research Science and Technology.Throughout his career, Dr. Tangara represented The Gambia in various Executive Boards of the United Nations and other International Organisations. In January 2022, he was appointed to the Advisory Board of United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) – Division for Multilateral Diplomacy. A two-year term from January 2022 to December 2024. He has also served as Executive Board Member of the United Nations Educational, Scientic andCultural Organisation (UNESCO); the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and UN Women;Dr. Tangara has chaired on numerous occasions the African Group at the United Nations in NewYork. He presided over the memorial meeting for the late Nelson Mandela.
Ambassador Lang Yabou
The Permanent Secretary and Head of Diplomatic Services
The Permanent Secretary and Head of Diplomatic Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, Ambassador Lang Yabou, assumed office, on 5th September 2022 after serving as the Permanent Representative of The Gambia to the United Nations from 1 October 2018 to 1 September 2022. Prior to his appointment as Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Yabou served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of The Gambia to the Kingdom of Spain from 2013 to 2018, with concurrent accreditation to Italy, Greece, and Malta, as well as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). From 2012 to 2013, Mr. Yabou was the Deputy Permanent Secretary, Administration and Finance, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was also the Deputy Ambassador/Deputy High Commissioner and Head of Chancery at the Gambia High Commission in Nigeria from 2008 to 2012. Ambassador Yabou served as Counsellor, and Head of Chancery at The Gambia High Commission in London, United Kingdom from 2006 to December 2007. He also worked as Senior Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Banjul, The Gambia from 1999 to 2002 then to Personnel Management Office, from 1994 to 1999 as Personnel Officer. Ambassador. Yabou has over 25 years of diplomatic and senior management experience. He holds a master’s degree in human resource management from Sheffield Hallam University in the United Kingdom, a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Pune, India and attended series of courses on Diplomacy and International relations..
The Permanent Secretary II at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, Ms. Fatou Kinneh Jobe, brings over 15 years of progressive experience in diplomacy, foreign service, public administration, and strategic communications, both at home and abroad. Prior to her appointment as PS II, she served as Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Chancery at The Gambia High Commission in Dakar, Senegal, covering Mali and Burkina Faso. She also previously held the same post at The Gambia Embassy in Beijing, China, with concurrent accreditation to Japan, South Korea, North Korea, and Mongolia.
From June 2019 to October 2020, Ms. Jobe served as Chargé d’Affaires at the Beijing Mission, representing The Gambia during a critical phase in the country’s diplomatic engagements with Asia. Her extensive foreign service experience is complemented by years of senior government roles, including as Permanent Secretary at the Office of the President and the Ministry of Information and Communication Infrastructure, and as Deputy Permanent Secretary, Principal Assistant Secretary, and Senior Assistant Secretary in various ministries.
Ms. Jobe holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Ming Chuan University, Taiwan. She is fluent in English and has basic proficiency in Mandarin Chinese and French.
An active participant in high-level multilateral conferences and regional initiatives, Ms. Jobe has represented The Gambia at several United Nations General Assemblies, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and continental forums including the U.S-Africa Leaders Summit and the 2018 Beijing Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit. She has also initiated and co-organized major bilateral economic forums between The Gambia and China, and The Gambia and Senegal, fostering stronger trade and investment partnerships.
With a strong background in diplomacy, ICT, and international cooperation, PS Fatou Kinneh Jobe is expected to bring renewed energy and innovation to the Ministry’s mission of advancing The Gambia’s foreign policy objectives and protecting the interests of Gambians abroad.