United Nations Secretary-General BAN Ki-moon Friday announced the appointment of Pakistani Major General Muhammad Tayyab Azam, who is currently Inspector General of the Frontier Corps, as the Force Commander of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). Major General Azam will succeed Major General Major Imam Edy Mulyono of Indonesia, whose tour of duty ends on 17 September 2015.
The UN created the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, abbreviated MINURSO after the French name, over thirty years ago. MINURSO's mission was to monitor the cease-fire and oversee a referendum on the status of the Sahrawi people and the system of government to take place. During the past thirty years, the UN has provided support for the referendum by determining voter eligibility and registration, and by monitoring the cease-fire to prevent a war between the two parties claiming control over Western Sahara.
The UN has also facilitated informal negotiations between Morocco and the Frente POLISARIO, which have had little success in resolving the conflict. Major General Azam brings to this position 30 years of national and international military experience. He has served as Director General and Deputy Director of the Intelligence Services from 2010 to 2014. He commanded an infantry brigade from 2009 to 2010. Major General Muhammad Azam has also served as United Nations Military Observer in Democratic Republic of Congo from 2000 to 2001. He has Masters Degrees in Defense and Strategic Studies from the National Defence University of Islamabad and in International Affairs from the Balochistan University, Pakistan. Born in 1966, Major General Azam is married and has four children.
Comments
Comments are closed.