New force commander for UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea takes over

Taking up his post as the new Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), Maj. Gen. Rajender Singh of India has pledged to uphold the "highest standard" of values in supervising the operation in the border area between the two countries, which fought a war that ended in 2000.

At the handover ceremony Friday in the Eritrean capital of Asmara, the 56-year old incoming chief said there would be no tolerance for disciplinary infractions.

"The sensitivities of the people of the countries where we are operating should always and every time be respected," he said. "The hallmark of all peacekeeping operations is restraint and impartiality."

General Singh took over from Gen. Robert Gordon of the United Kingdom, who said his work for UNMEE over the past 21 months had been "challenging, certainly stimulating, very often frustrating, but always enjoyable."

General Singh, who has worked in several types of military operations, served previously as Regional Commander in the UN Verification Mission in Angola (UNAVEM III) from 1995 to 1996.