The Indian Ocean nation of Comoros, a group of islands at the northern mouth of the Mozambique Channel between Madagascar and Mozambique, sent a new ambassador to the U.S. in September 2012. Roubani Kaambi presented his credentials to President Obama on September 19, succeeding Mohamed Toihiri, who had served as Comoran ambassador since September 6, 2007. Kaambi is concurrently accredited as permanent representative to the United Nations in New York and as ambassador to Canada and to Cuba. Comoros has a population of about 800,000.
Born on December 10, 1955, in Mistoudjé, Grande Comore, Kaambi earned his BA at the Lycée Said Mohamed Cheikh in the Comoran capital of Moroni, and postgraduate degrees in Public Law, and in History, Culture and Social Organization, from the University of Strasbourg in France. He is also a graduate of the National School of Public Administration of Morocco.
Kaambi served as minister for Justice and government spokesman in 1993, with responsibilities for labor and employment as well. In 1994, he was chief of staff to Prime Minister Mohamed Abdou Madi, secretary general of the government, and president of the Support Commission for Institutional Reform in Public Administration.
An educator, Kaambi taught high school philosophy in Moroni and in Mitsamihouli from 1995 to 2003, and was a law professor at the University of Comoros from 2006 to 2011. Kaambi is also the Diplomatic High Steward of EUCLID (Euclid University), an international intergovernmental organization with a university charter established in 2008.
From 2003 to 2004, Kaambi was the government’s adviser on relations with ministerial secretaries general, later taking up the presidency of the Forum of Secretaries General, an institution responsible for preparing and evaluating technical and administrative government action. He was the communications adviser to President Azali Assoumani from 2004 to 2006.
Kaambi is married and has four children.
-Matt Bewig
