Pakistan Army Major General Jawwad Ahmed Qazi has been appointed the new force commander of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (Minurso), the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN announced on Thursday.

In a social media post on X, Pakistan’s mission said, “UN Secretary General António Guterres has appointed Major Gen Qazi of Pakistan as the new force commander of Minurso.”

“With over 35 years of leadership and operational experience in the Pakistan Army and UN peacekeeping, Major Gen Qazi brings extensive command, field and international experience to the mission,” the mission said.

According to Pakistan’s mission, Major Gen Qazi has previously served in senior leadership roles, including command, staff and instructional positions, both in Pakistan and abroad.

His previous appointments in Pakistan include general officer commanding of an infantry division, force commander in the Northern Areas and director general at the Ministry of Defence, it added.

Earlier in his career, he also served with the UN Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) in Croatia.

“Pakistan takes pride in this appointment and remains committed to supporting UN peacekeeping and international efforts for peace and stability through deployment of mission-ready contingents and leaders who have vast peacekeeping experience,” it stated.

Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony largely controlled by Morocco, is the only territory on the African continent whose post-colonial status has not been settled.

Morocco has long been in conflict with the Algerian-backed Polisario Front, which seeks independence for the Sahrawi people.

It is claimed by the Polisario Front, which insists on the indigenous Sahrawi people’s right to a referendum on self-determination monitored by the UN.

Polisario is seeking independence and says Morocco should adhere to an agreement it accepted in 1991 that provides for a UN-supervised referendum on self-determination.