Pakistani general to lead UN force in Liberia
By IANSWednesday, October 13, 2010
UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon has appointed Major General Muhammad Khalid of Pakistan as the force commander of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).
Prior to the appointment, Khalid served in the Pakistani military as the commander of the logistics area in Quetta and as the chief of staff of command headquarters in Pakistan’s defence ministry, Xinhua quoted UN spokesman Martin Nesirky as saying.
Khalid has previous experience with UN peacekeeping force as a military observer for the UN Transitional Administration in Cambodia (UNTAC) in 1992-1993. The major general succeeds Lieutenant General Sikander Afzal of Pakistan, whose term ends Nov. 28.
“The secretary-general is grateful to Lieutenant General Afzal for his contribution to the work of UNMIL,” Nesirky said.
Established by a Security Council resolution in September 2003, UNMIL is tasked with assisting Liberia’s national security reform, including national police training and the formation of a new, restructured military.
