Major General Anita Asmah of Ghana has been appointed as the new Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). The announcement was made by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday, 11 December 2024.
Major General Asmah succeeds Lieutenant General Nirmal Kumar Thapa of Nepal, who will complete his assignment in mid-December 2024. In his announcement, the Secretary-General expressed gratitude for his leadership and dedication to United Nations peacekeeping efforts.
Major General Asmah brings 31 years of leadership and command experience in the Ghana Armed Forces and United Nations peacekeeping to the role. Most recently, she served as Director General in the Department of Defence Civilian Establishment of the Ghana Armed Forces. Prior to that, she was the Deputy Force Commander of UNDOF from 2021 to 2023.
Her extensive peacekeeping experience includes serving as a Staff Officer in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in 2015–2016 and 2012–2013 and as a Military Observer in the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) in 2003–2004.
In the Ghana Armed Forces, Major General Asmah held numerous senior positions, including Director of Education, Deputy Military Secretary, and Course Director at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre.
She holds Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law degrees from the University of Ghana and is fluent in English and French.
The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) was established by Security Council Resolution 350 (1974) on 31 May 1974. Its mandate includes maintaining the ceasefire between Israel and Syria, supervising the disengagement of Israeli and Syrian forces, and monitoring the areas of separation and limitation as outlined in the May 1974 Agreement on Disengagement.