Bangladesh’s Major General Fakhrul Ahsan appointed as MINURSO’s Force Commander

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Bangladesh’s Major General Fakhrul Ahsan as Force Commander for MINURSO, the UN peacekeeping mission in the Sahara.

The UN chief announced the appointment on Thursday, stressing that Ahsan will succeed Major General Zia Ur Rehman of Pakistan.

The UNSG extended gratitude to the Pakistani commander, who will complete his assignment at the end of March.

With over 34 years of experience in both international and national military in Bangladesh, Ahsan served in several positions including as a director of the Military Intelligence Directorate at the Bangladesh Army Headquarters.

Ahsan also served previously in two peacekeeping missions including UN Operation in Somalia II and the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC).