The United Nations-General Antonio Guterres has appointed an Indian Army officer as the new Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
Lieutenant General Shailesh Tinaikar, 57, has succeeded Lieutenant General Frank Kamanzi of Rwanda, states a UN press release.
Tinaikar will command more than 16,000 peacekeepers, about 2,400 from India, in United Nations Mission in South Sudan, created in 2011, when South Sudan gained independence from Sudan.
The Indian Army officer “has had a long and distinguished career with the Indian Armed Forces spanning over 34 years,” a statement by the UN Spokesperson said.
Born in 1962, he is married and has one child, states the UN press release.
Graduated in 1983 from the Indian Military Academy, Tinaikar is currently serving as the Commandant of the Infantry School since July 2018.
Previously he commanded a division, a recruit training enter and a brigade from 2012 to 2017. He served as the Additional Director General of Military Operations at the Army Headquarters from 2017 to 2018.
Tinaikar was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal and Sena Medal for eminent service.
He served in the United Nations Angola Verification from 1996 to 1997, and from 2008 to 2009, in the United Nations mission in Sudan.
He holds a Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) in Defence and Strategic Studies from The University of Madras.
India holds second place in troop-contributing country to UNMISS with 2,337 Indian peacekeepers, second only to Rwanda with 2,750. Additionally, India presently contributes 22 police personnel to UNMISS.
