NEW YORK: United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced on Friday the appointment of a Pakistani military officer as the force commander of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (Minurso).

Maj Gen Muhammad Tayyab Azam, who is currently Inspector General of the Frontier Corps, will succeed Maj Gen Major Imam Edy Mulyono of Indonesia, whose tenure of duty ends on Sept 17.

The Minurso mission, created by the UN after the French name over 30 years ago, has been assigned to monitor the ceasefire and oversee a referendum on the status of Sahrawi people and the system of government to take place.

During the past 30 years, the UN has provided support for the referendum by determining voter eligibility and registration, and by monitoring the ceasefire to prevent war between the two parties claiming control over Western Sahara.

The UN has also facilitated informal dialogue between Morocco and the Frente Polisario, but it has had little success in resolving the conflict.

Maj Gen Azam brings to this position 30 years of national and international military experience. He has served as director general and deputy director of the intelligence services from 2010 to 2014. He commanded an infantry brigade from 2009 to 2010.

He has also served as the UN military observer in Democratic Republic of Congo from 2000 to 2001.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2015

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