Indian new UN peace mission commander

The Mission agreement helped put an end to the 20-year separatist war in Sudan.

Lt Gen Jasbir Singh Lidder of India has been appointed as the new Force Commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Sudan (UNMIS).

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Lidder replaces Major General Fazle Elahi Akbar of Bangladesh, who served as Military Advisor to the UN Advance Mission in Sudan before becoming the Force Commander in September 2004.

The Mission was established in March last year to monitor the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that was signed by the Sudan government and Sudan People's Liberation Movement. The Agreement ended the 20-year separatist war in the country.

As of last November, UNMIS comprised 4,222 uniformed personnel, including 3,638 troops, 362 military observers, and 222 police personnel, supported by 511 international civilian personnel, 983 local civilians and 67 United Nations Volunteers.

UNMIS also continues to work closely with the African Union Mission in Sudan that monitors the situation in Darfur, where violence and war crimes continue unabated.