United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointment of Major General Jawwad Ahmed of Pakistan as the new Force Commander for the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).
Major General Ahmed succeeds Major General Md Fakhrul Ahsan of Bangladesh, who concluded his tenure on August 2, 2026. The Secretary-General conveyed his deep gratitude to Major General Ahsan for his exemplary leadership and dedicated service to MINURSO.
Extensive Military & Command Background
Major General Ahmed brings more than 35 years of distinguished military, command, and operational experience across the Pakistan Army and UN peacekeeping missions:
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Ministry of Defence Leadership: Served as Director General at the Ministry of Defence in Rawalpindi, managing command and control, local governance, and administration across all nationwide cantonments covering over 5.3 million residents.
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Key General Staff & Field Commands: Previously served as General Officer Commanding (GOC) of an Infantry Division, Director General of the Inspection and Evaluation Directorate at General Headquarters (GHQ), and Force Commander Northern Areas (FCNA).
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High-Altitude & Instructional Roles: Commanded brigades in cantonments as well as high-altitude operational field sectors, and served as Chief Instructor at the Command and Staff College, Quetta.
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United Nations Peacekeeping: Deployed early in his career with the Pakistani Battalion under the UN Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) in Croatia.
Academic Credentials & Languages
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Master of Philosophy (MPhil): Public Policy and Strategic Security Management — National Defence University, Pakistan.
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Postgraduate Certificate: Security and Strategy for Global Leaders — King’s College London, United Kingdom.
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Languages: Fluent in Urdu and English, with a working knowledge of French.
