Ban unveils senior peacekeeping appointments to Liberia, India and Pakistan

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced plans today to reassign two key military posts involving United Nations peacekeeping operations in Liberia and in India and Pakistan.

Mr. Ban has informed the Security Council of his intention to appoint Lieutenant General A.T.M. Zahirul Alam of Bangladesh as Force Commander for the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).

Lt.-Gen. Alam has had an extensive career with the Bangladesh Army, which he joined in 1975, and his long experience includes service with the UN Iraq-Kuwait Observer Mission (UNIKOM), where he commanded a mechanized infantry battalion between November 1994 and January 1996.

He will replace Lt.-Gen. Chikadibia Obiakor of Nigeria, who is to take over as Military Adviser for the UN's global peacekeeping operations, Mr. Ban's spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters.

The Secretary-General also informed the Council of his plan to appoint Major General Kim Moon Hwa of Korea as Chief Military Observer in the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP).

Maj.-Gen. Kim served as Deputy Chief Military Observer for the UNMOGIP operation from 1995 to 1997 as part of his extensive military career since joining the Korean Army in 1976.

He will succeed Major General Dragutin Repinc of Croatia, who ended his two-year mandate to the position earlier this year.