The special representative of the UN secretary-general and head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Ellen Margrethe Loj, has informed UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that she will step down from the role at the end of November after over two years of service to the UN mission, a UN spokesman told reporters on Friday.

Loj was appointed by the secretary-general in July 2014 and assumed her duties in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, in September 2014.

"She had planned to retire at the end of her current contract, which expired at the end of August this year, but chose to remain at the helm of the Mission in the wake of the July crisis until the situation could stabilize," Dujarric said.

"She will continue to lead the Mission until the end of November," the spokesman said.

"The secretary-general is deeply appreciative of her lifetime of service to further the cause of peace and development, especially during her distinguished career with UN peacekeeping having headed both UNMISS and the UN Mission in Liberia from 2008 to 2012," he said.

Ban is particularly thankful to Loj for her dedication, commitment and important contributions at the helm of UNMISS during extremely challenging times, the spokesman added.

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