Annan mourns death of former commander of UN force in Lebanon

Secretary-General Kofi Annan today mourned the sudden passing of Maj. Gen. Lalit Mohan Tewari of India, the former Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

General Tewari served UNIFIL with distinction from August 2001 to February this year, a spokesman for the Secretary-General said in a statement. From 1990 to 1991, General Tewari served as the Chief Military Observer of the Observer Group in Costa Rica within the UN Observer Group in Central America (ONUCA).

"General Tewari's long career of honourable service is a credit to both his country and to the United Nations," the statement said. "The Secretary-General offers his deepest condolences to the Government of India, the Indian Armed Forces and General Tewari's family and friends in this most difficult time."