United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres Wednesday appointed an Ethiopian general as the new Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).

Major General Gebre Adhana Woldezgu succeeds Major General Tesfay Gidey Hailemichael, who will complete his assignment on 23 April 2018.

Woldezgu brings 38 years of experience in the Ethiopian Army, regularly travelling to Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda and African Union Mission in Somalia to coordinate common security and border issues with neighbouring countries as well as being fully involved in force preparations, planning and deployment of forces for international and regional peacekeeping operations.  

Currently, a Director in the Ethiopian Ministry of National Defence (since 2008), he also served as a Division Commander (1999-2008) and Mechanized Deputy Division Commander (1995-1998).

Major-General Woldezgu holds a Master’s Degree from the Ethiopian Civil Service University. 

Sudan and South Sudan are disputing the oil-rich Abyei, an area inhabited by Sudan's Arab Misseryia tribe and South Sudan's Ngok Dinka tribe.

In October 2013, the Ngok Dinka tribe conducted a unilateral popular referendum, in which the vast majority of people voted to join South Sudan. However, neither Sudan nor South Sudan recognized the plebiscite so far.