Mikael (Mika) Cleverley currently serves as the Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., to the U.S. Mission to the African Union (USAU) and Acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).  Mikael also serves as the Deputy Chief of Mission and assumed charge after Ambassador Jessye Lapenn departed the mission on January 18, 2023.  Ambassador designate Stephanie Sullivan is awaiting U.S. Senate Confirmation.

Prior to assuming these duties in July 2022, Mikael served as the Deputy Director for Regional Affairs in the African Affairs Bureau of the U.S. Department of State, where he facilitated the Bureau’s multilateral engagement, foreign assistance, and strategic planning, as well as U.S. initiatives in Africa related to democracy and human rights.  His other diplomatic assignments include tours in Tel Aviv, Helsinki, Lusaka, Yaoundé, Geneva, and Washington, where he worked on political, economic, and commercial issues.  In Geneva, Mikael supported U.S. assistance to Africa, in partnership with international humanitarian organizations, including UNHCR, IOM, and ICRC. In 2019, Mikael completed an MA in Strategic Security Studies from the National Defense University, where he graduated with distinction and was recognized for his research on the nexus between trade and security in Africa.

Mikael has a BA in comparative literature from Brigham Young University and an MBA in international finance from the Helsinki School of Economics.  He is married to Rachel Cleverley, and they are the parents of four sons.