Major General Benjamin Sawyerr has assumed duty as the Force Commander/ Acting Head of Mission for the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei.
Sawyerr officially took over from Major General Kefyalew Tessema of Ethiopia, who has served the mission for almost two years.
Abyei is an area of 10,546 km2 on the border between South Sudan and the Sudan that had been accorded “special administrative status” by the 2004 Protocol on the Resolution of the Abyei Conflict (Abyei Protocol) in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the Second Sudanese Civil War.
A statement made available to The PUNCH on Thursday revealed that Sawyerr assumed his office on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, and would lead the newly reconfigured multinational peacekeeping mission.
The statement partly read, “During the transfer of authority ceremony at the Missions Headquarters in Abyei, General Sawyer applauded the mandate implementation achievements of the Ethiopian peacekeepers under the leadership of the outgoing Force Commander and Acting Head of Mission, General Kafyalew Tessema especially in the areas of peace and security and, pledged to build on his legacy.
“General Sawyerr lauded the Ethiopian troops for their immense contribution and sacrifice in pursuit of peace and security in the Abyei Area. Ethiopia has been the only troop-contributing country since the establishment of UNISFA in 2011 and has played a critical role in the prevention of conflict and advancement of the political process towards a sustainable solution for Abyei.
“The Force Commander paid tribute to peacekeepers who have lost their lives to the cause of peace in Abyei. Thanking the UN Secretary-General for appointing him as UNISFA Force Commander and acting Head of Mission General Sawyerr pledged to work closely with local and national authorities towards achieving the UNISFA mandate.”
Major General Sawyerr has a distinguished military career spanning more than 34 years of service with the Nigerian Army, including as the Director of Defence Information of Nigeria’s Defence Forces since 2021.
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