Maïmouna Sourang Ndir

Ndir worked within the Ministry of Social Development before being appointed as Minister in 2002 in the first Idrissa Seck government.^[1][4][5] She then served as Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises and Microfinance^[6] and Minister of the Living Environment and Public Health under Cheikh Hadjibou Soumaré.^[7] She is a member of the Senegalese Democratic Party.^[2]

In 2009, Ndir was appointed ambassador of Senegal to France, Monaco and Andorra by President Abdoulaye Wade, seen as one of the country's most significant postings.^[8] The first woman to hold this post, her appointment was criticised due to her lack of diplomatic experience.^[9][10][11] She was recalled by to Dakar by the new government in April 2012, along with a number of other non-career diplomat ambassadors.^[2][12][13]

Ndir has been made a Commander of the Senegalese Order of Merit, Commander of the Order of Saint-Charles of Monaco and Grand Officer of the French National Order of Merit.^[2][3]