SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES APPOINTMENT OF GENERAL MARTIN L. AGWAI OF NIGERIA

AS FORCE COMMANDER OF AFRICAN UNION MISSION IN SUDAN

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

On 23 May 2007, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, in consultation with the Secretary-General, appointed General Martin L. Agwai of Nigeria as Force Commander of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS).  The Secretary-General welcomes this decision and looks forward to General Agwai’s close cooperation with the United Nations to facilitate the deployment of the Heavy Support Package for AMIS and to eventually command the hybrid African Union-United Nations operation in Darfur.

General Agwai has been Chief of Defence Staff of the Nigerian Armed Services since June 2006 and was Chief of Army Staff from June 2003 to May 2006.  Prior to that, he served with the United Nations as Deputy Military Adviser from November 2002 to June 2003 and Deputy Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) from November 2000 to November 2002.

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