Adonia Ayebare has emerged as one of Uganda’s most experienced diplomats following his appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the latest cabinet reshuffle announced by President Yoweri Museveni this week.
The move shifts him from Uganda’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York to one of the country’s most strategic government positions.
Ayebare was born on 18 October 1966 and was raised in Masaka District, central Uganda.
He began his early education at St Henry’s College Kitovu, a foundation that shaped his academic path before advancing to university studies.
His upbringing in Masaka is often referenced as the starting point of a journey that would later place him on the global diplomatic stage.
He pursued higher education at Makerere University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication.
He later moved to the United States for further studies, obtaining a Master of Arts from Long Island University and another Master’s degree from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
Ayebare also holds doctorates from Indiana University and Rutgers University, in addition to a certificate in International Security from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Ayebare began his career in journalism, working as a staff reporter at the East African Business Week between 1996 and 1998.
He later joined the United Nations’ Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) as an information officer from 1998 to 2000, marking his transition into international affairs.
In 2001, he entered government service as Principal Adviser and Special Envoy to the Burundi peace process, a role he held until 2008.
During this period, he also served as Uganda’s ambassador to Rwanda and Burundi from 2002 to 2005, gaining firsthand experience in regional diplomacy and conflict resolution.
His diplomatic career expanded at the United Nations, where he served as Deputy Permanent Representative and later Chargé d’Affaires between 2005 and 2008.
He went on to head the Africa Program at the International Peace Institute in New York from 2009 to 2011, before returning to Uganda’s UN mission as Deputy Head from 2010 to 2012.
Between 2013 and 2017, Ayebare worked with the African Union’s Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations as Senior Adviser on Peace and Security.
In March 2017, he was appointed Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, a position he held until his latest appointment to cabinet.