The United Nations and the African Union on Tuesday jointly announced the appointment of Tanzanian Lieutenant General Paul Ignace Mella as Force Commander of their joint peacekeeping force in the Sudanese region of Darfur.
Established in July 2007, the United Nations-African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), has civilian protection as its core mandate. The mission is also tasked with contributing to security for humanitarian assistance, monitoring and verifying implementation of agreements and assisting with an inclusive political process, among other responsibilities.
Gen. Mella will replace Lieutenant General Patrick Nyamvumba of Rwanda, who completed his assignment on 31 March.
While announcing the appointment of Gen. Mella, the United Nations Secretary General ban Ki-moon expressed his "deep appreciation to Lieutenant General Nyamvumba for his dedication and invaluable service during his tenure in UNAMID."
Gen. Mella has had a long and distinguished career with the Tanzanian military. Most recently, he served as Chief of Defense Intelligence Organization in Dar es Salaam.
Previously, he had held a number of important operational, command and staff positions, including that of Director of Foreign Intelligence in the Tanzania Peoples' Defense Forces, Commanding Officer of an Infantry Battalion in the UN Mission in Liberia, and Defense Adviser at the Tanzania High Commission in Uganda.
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