UN’s Guterres appoints new UNISFA Force Commander
April 4, 2018 (JUBA) – UN Secretary-General António Guterres Wednesday appointed Ethiopian Major General Gebre Adhana Woldezgu as the new Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).
“Woldezgu succeeds Major General Tesfay Gidey Hailemichael of Ethiopia who will complete his assignment on 23 April 2018,” reads a statement released by the UN.
“The Secretary-General is grateful for his tireless dedication and invaluable service and effective leadership of UNISFA,” it further said.
The new UNISFA head, as the director of Ethiopian defence ministry, participated in the border issues with the neighbouring countries and fully involved in force preparations, planning and deployment of Ethiopian forces for international and regional peacekeeping operations.
Since 2008, he served as the Director of the Ethiopian Ministry of National Defence, he was also a Division Commander (1999-2008) and Mechanized Deputy Division Commander (1995-1998).
The 55-year major-general holds a Master’s Degree from the Ethiopian Civil Service University.
The U.N. Security Council on 27 June 2011 approved a resolution authorizing the deployment of 4,200 Ethiopian troops to Sudan’s disputed Abyei region for a six-month period.
The UNISFA has the authority to use force in self-defence and to protect civilians and humanitarian aid, but UNISFA mandate does not call to monitor compliance with human rights laws, as most peacekeeping forces do.
(ST)