Ambassador Anil Sooklal
Ambassador Dr. Anil Sooklal is the Deputy Director-General responsible for Asia and the Middle East, Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Republic of South Africa. He is also South Africa’s BRICS Sherpa, G20 Sherpa and IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) Sherpa and the IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation).
Dr Sookal also served as Chief Director for North Africa, Acting Chief Director for United Nations Political and Global Security Affairs and Head of the Department’s Parliamentary Office in Cape Town, and was co-ordinator of the substance team of the UN World Conference Against Racism, 2001.
He was appointed South Africa’s Ambassador to the European Union, Belgium and Luxembourg in April 2006 and completed his term of office in January 2012.
His previous foreign postings include having been Counsellor (Political) at the South African Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva and at the South African High Commission in New Delhi respectively.
During his tenure as South Africa’s Ambassador in Brussels he served as Chair of SADC Committee of Ambassadors (2008 – 2009), Chair of the Tripartite SADC, EAC, COMESA, Committee of Ambassadors (2008 – 2009), Member of the Bureau of the ACP Committee of Ambassadors (2007), and Deputy Chair of the Sustainable Development Committee, ACP (2011).
