Biographical Note

Secretary-General Appoints Lieutenant General Sikander Afzal of Pakistan

 

as Force Commander for United Nations Mission in Liberia

 

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Lieutenant General Sikander Afzal (Pakistan) as the Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).  Lieutenant General Afzal will replace Lieutenant General A.T.M. Zahirul Alam of Bangladesh, whose tour of duty ended on 19 October.  The Secretary-General is grateful to Lieutenant General Alam for his contribution to the work of UNMIL.

Lieutenant General Afzal brings to this position a distinguished military career since joining the Pakistani military in 1972, including significant command experience, and prior experience with United Nations peacekeeping.  From 1996 to 2002, he commanded armoured and infantry brigades.  In the period 2002 to 2004, he served as division commander in Sialkot and Lahore.  Between 2004 and 2006, he served as the Director General for Strategic Analysis at Inter-Services Intelligence.  Since 2006, Lieutenant General Afzal has been serving as corps commander, with responsibility for more than 30,000 military personnel.

Lieutenant General Afzal also served with the United Nations Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II) where he commanded the quick reaction force between 1994 and 1995.

Lieutenant General Afzal holds a Master of Science degree from Quaid-I-Azam University, Pakistan.

Born in 1952 in Lahore, Lieutenant General Afzal is married and has one child.

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For information media • not an official record