Pakistan | By Shahzaib Saqib
UNITED NATIONS — United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Pakistan Army Major General Jawwad Ahmed Qazi as the new Force Commander of the UN peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara, giving a Pakistani officer operational leadership of the military component of one of the UN’s longest-running peace operations.
Major General Qazi will lead the military component of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). He succeeds Major General Md Fakhrul Ahsan of Bangladesh, whose assignment ended on August 2.
Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations welcomed the appointment, saying it reflected the country’s continuing commitment to UN peacekeeping and international efforts for peace and stability.
More Than 35 Years of Military Experience
Major General Qazi brings more than 35 years of leadership and operational experience in the Pakistan Army and UN peacekeeping operations.
His senior appointments have included General Officer Commanding of an infantry division, Force Commander Northern Areas and Director General at the Ministry of Defence. He has also served as Director General of the Inspection and Evaluation Directorate at General Headquarters and held brigade-level and instructional appointments.
His new assignment is also not his first experience with the United Nations.
Earlier in his career, Qazi served with a Pakistani battalion in the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) in Croatia.
What Is MINURSO?
MINURSO was established by the UN Security Council in 1991 in Western Sahara, where the unresolved dispute between Morocco and the Polisario Front has persisted for decades.
The mission was originally established to support a settlement plan that included a ceasefire and a referendum concerning the territory’s future.
As Force Commander, Major General Qazi will be responsible for leading MINURSO’s military component within the mandate authorized by the UN Security Council.
A High-Profile International Command for Pakistan
The appointment carries significance beyond an individual military posting.
Pakistan has a decades-long record as one of the countries contributing personnel to United Nations peace operations. Putting a serving Pakistani major general in command of an entire UN mission’s military component gives Islamabad another senior leadership role within the international peacekeeping system.
Pakistan’s UN mission said the country would continue contributing mission-ready contingents and experienced military leaders to international peace and stability efforts.
Why It Matters
Major General Qazi’s appointment places a Pakistani officer at the military helm of a sensitive UN mission operating around one of Africa’s longest-running territorial disputes.
It also provides international recognition of Pakistan’s institutional experience in UN peacekeeping at a time when the future, effectiveness and cost of peacekeeping missions are facing growing international scrutiny.
For Pakistan, the appointment therefore carries both military and diplomatic significance — extending the country’s role in UN operations from contributing troops to providing senior command leadership.