The new Force Commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), Major General Mohammad Humayun Kabir, arrived at UNFICYP HQ in the UN Protected Area on 10 October 2016 to commence his duties.

Major General Humayun, who hails from Bangladesh, was welcomed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Cyprus and Head of UNFICYP, Ms. Elizabeth Spehar, and UNFICYP Chief-of-Staff, Colonel Tim Wildish, who has stood in as acting Force Commander since the departure of UNFICYP's last Force Commander, Major General Kristin Lund, in July.

With more than 32 years of wide-ranging command and staff experience, Major General Humayun has had a distinguished military career, having held command positions at unit, battalion, brigade and divisional level in the Bangladesh Army since 1989, as well as senior staff appointments.

Major General Humayun’s experience with the United Nations includes service as a Military Observer with the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) from 2002 to 2003, and with the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) from 1995 to 1996.

He holds three master’s degrees, in international security and strategy from King’s College, London (2013); in business administration from the University of Dhaka (2002-2005); and in defence studies from Bangladesh National University (1998-1999). He is also a graduate of the Royal College of Defence Studies, United Kingdom (2012-2013), and the United States Army Command and General Staff College (1999-2000).

We wish Major General Humayun all the very best as he begins his work in Cyprus!