SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS MAJOR GENERAL LALIT MOHAN TEWARI FORCE COMMANDER OF UNIFIL

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS MAJOR GENERAL LALIT MOHAN TEWARI

FORCE COMMANDER OF UNIFIL

Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced today the appointment of Major General Lalit Mohan Tewari as Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon to succeed Major General Seth Kofi Obeng, who relinquished the command on 15 May.

Major General Tewari was born in 1947 and has served in the Indian Armed Forces since 1966.  He has held several command and staff appointments up to the division level and at the Indian Armed Forces Headquarters.  He is currently the Commander of the Higher Command Wing at the College of Combat of the Indian Armed Forces.  Previously, he commanded an infantry division in 1999-2001, a mountain brigade in 1994-1996 and an infantry battalion in 1985-1989.  He has attended the Higher Command Course and the National Security and Strategic Studies Course at the National Defence College, New Delhi.  In 1989 he was posted as an instructor in the Defence Services Staff College at Wellington (India) and in 1991 he was appointed as the Director of Plan, Coordination and Financial Planning in the Perspective Plans Directorate at Army Headquarters.  He holds a Master of Science degree in Defence Studies and has been decorated with the prestigious Sena Medal for gallantry and the Distinguished Vishisht Seva Medal of the Indian Army.

Major-General Tewari has had previous experience in United Nations peacekeeping as Chief of the Observer Group in Costa Rica within the United Nations Observer Group in Central America (ONUCA) in 1990-1991.

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