On December 2, Nepal received news from the United Nations Headquarters in New York stating that Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Lieutenant General Ganesh Kumar Shrestha of Nepal as the new Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).
A statement by Secretary-General Guterres stated that Lieutenant General Shrestha succeeds Major General Robert Yaw Affram of Ghana, to whom the Secretary-General expressed gratitude for his dedication and leadership of UNISFA during the interim period.
The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) is a UN peacekeeping mission established on June 27, 2011, to protect civilians and monitor the contested Abyei region along the border of Sudan and South Sudan. According to the UN statement, the mission’s mandate is to provide security, monitor the border, and facilitate humanitarian aid. The UN Security Council has extended its mandate, most recently until November 15, 2026.
The appointment brings another moment of glory and happiness to Nepal. Lt. Gen. Shrestha became Nepal’s ninth Force Commander in UN missions. Maj. Gen. Krishna Narayan Singh Thapa (UNIKOM, 1993–1995), Maj. Gen. Victor SJB Rana (UNFICYP, 1999–2001), Maj. Gen. Balananda Sharma (UNDOF, 2004–2006), Maj. Gen. Pawan Jung Thapa (UNMIS, 2008–2009), and Maj. Gen. Purna Chandra Thapa (UNDOF, 2015–2016) served as Force Commanders in different peacekeeping missions.
Moreover, Maj. Gen. Shivaram Kharel, Maj. Gen. Ishwar Hamal, and Maj. Gen. Nirmal Kumar Thapa also served as Force Commanders in UNDOF from 2019 to 2024, one after another. Besides Force Commanders, Nepal’s Maj. Gen. Chitra Bahadur Gurung also served as Deputy Military Adviser at the UN Headquarters from 2000 to 2002.
Over 60 years, Nepal has deployed more than 159,000 Nepali peacekeepers in 44 UN missions across four continents for peacekeeping in conflict zones. Nepal became a member of the UN in 1955, and the Nepali Army began its peacekeeping journey in 1958 with five Nepali military observers sent to the United Nations Observer Group in Lebanon (UNOGIL). Later, Nepali peacekeepers were deployed to the United Nations Emergency Force II (UNEF II) in Egypt in 1974. More importantly, Nepal is now the world’s largest troop-contributing country (TCC).
Lt. Gen. Shrestha now has a new responsibility to serve in a foreign society at a critical time in a conflict area. He has 36 years of military service experience, encompassing leadership positions in the Nepali Army, such as Division Commander of the Far Western Division.
In terms of UN peacekeeping experience, he has served as Sector Commander for Sector East in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Most recently, Lt. Gen. Shrestha served as Master General of Ordnance at the Nepali Army Headquarters.
He has also served as Adjutant General at the Nepalese Army Headquarters. Before that, he was the Administrative Registrar of Shree Birendra Military Hospital, Director of Policy and Plans at the Nepalese Army Headquarters, and Brigade Commander of the 16th and 9th Brigades.
Lieutenant General Shrestha holds a master’s degree in Military Science and Strategic Studies from the International College of Defence Studies, National Defence University, China. He also earned a master’s degree in Economics and a bachelor’s degree in Humanities and Social Sciences from Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal. Aside from his native Nepali, he is fluent in English and has a working knowledge of Hindi.
Major General Purna B. Silwal (Retd.), Ph.D., who served in the Nepali Army for three and a half decades and also worked as Military Adviser at the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations in New York (2008–2011), and served as a UN peacekeeper and military observer in Lebanon and the D.R. Congo, respectively, stated that Lieutenant General Shrestha is one of the best persons to head UNISFA.
“Lt. Gen. Shrestha has long experience in UN peacekeeping missions. Moreover, he previously served in Sudan as well. He knows the language and the environment of that area,” Silwal said. “He was selected through global competition, which shows his capability.” Silwal added that Lt. Gen. Shrestha will make the country proud during his tenure.
Ram Chandra Khatry, Brigadier General (Retd.) and Managing Director of Nepal’s newly established ‘Eagle Think Tank,’ stated that at the strategic level, Nepal projects its leadership and capabilities on the world stage through key appointments, policy engagement, and robust deployments. Nepali Army generals have earned global trust by holding major command and leadership roles within the UN system, he added.
