U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday announced the appointment of Major-General Jean Bosco Kazura of Rwanda as Force Commander of the U.N. Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).
Kazura is to assume the command on July 1, when, in accordance with Security Council resolution 2100 (2013), and subject to review by the Council, the transfer of authority is to take place from the African-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA) to the U.N. multi-dimensional mission.
Kazura has over 24 years of national and international military experience, as well as command and staff experience. Prior to the new appointment, he was the Commandant of the Rwandan Defense Forces Combat Training Center.
Kazura had also served as Principal Staff Officer (J3) in the Rwandan Defense Force Headquarters in Kigali, and Deputy Force Commander and Chief Military Observer of the African Union Mission in Sudan.
He had also held staff positions at formation-level headquarters, and also served as Senior Military and Security Adviser to Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
In April, the Security Council approved the 12,600-strong MINUSMA to take over from the African-led mission in Mali, authorizing the blue helmets "to use all necessary means" to carry out security-related stabilization tasks, protect civilians, U.N. staff and cultural artifacts, and create the conditions for the provision of humanitarian aid.
MINUSMA's core task is to support the political process in Mali, in close coordination with the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
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