UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and African Union Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma announced on Tuesday the appointment of Lieutenant General Paul Ignace Mella of Tanzania as the Force Commander of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID).

"Lieutenant General Mella will replace Lieutenant General Patrick Nyamvumba of Rwanda, who completed his assignment on 31 March this year," said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesperson.

In the statement, the secretary-general expressed his deep appreciation to Lieutenant General Nyamvumba for his dedication and invaluable service during his tenure with UNAMID.

"Lieutenant General Mella brings with him a long and distinguished career with the Tanzanian military, most recently serving as the Chief of Defense Intelligence Organization in Dar es Salaam," said the statement.

Prior to this, according to the statement, he has held a number of important operational, command and staff positions, including as Director of Foreign Intelligence in the Tanzania Peoples' Defense Forces, Commanding Officer of an Infantry Battalion in the United Nations Mission in Liberia and Defense Adviser at the Tanzania High Commission in the Republic of Uganda.

Born in Moshi in 1955, Mella has a Master's degree in Security and Strategic Studies from the South African National Defense College.

UNAMID, established on July 31, 2007, is the biggest UN peacekeeping mission in the world.

The mission has the protection of civilians as its core mandate, but is also tasked with contributing to security for humanitarian assistance, monitoring and verifying implementation of agreements, assisting an inclusive political process, contributing to the promotion of human rights and the rule of law, and monitoring and reporting on the situation along the borders with Chad and the Central African Republic. Enditem

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