The Secretary-General of the United Nations has appointed Lieutenant -General Yohannes Gebremeskel Tesfamariam of Ethiopia as a new Force Commander of UN Mission in South Sudan.

General Tesfamariam will succeed Major-General Delali Johnson Sakyi of Ghana, who completed his assignment on the 9^th of this month.

In a press statement, Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, says he was “grateful to Major-General Sakyi’s dedication and leadership in UNMISS”.

“General Tesfamariam brings to the news position 35 years of experience with the Ethiopian National Defence Forces and the United Nations in conflict-affected areas,” read the statement.

He was the Head of the Peacekeeping Department and Head of the Military Intelligence Department in the Ethiopian Ministry of National Defence.

Tesfamarian served as Commander of the Army Corps and the Government of Ethiopia Commissioner for the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Recently, General Tesfamarian served as the Head of Mission and Force Commander of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei, or UNISFA.