The United Nations Secretary-General officially announced on Tuesday, August 11, the appointment of Pakistani Major General Jawwad Ahmed as head of the military command of MINURSO. He succeeds Bangladeshi Major General Fakhrul Ahsan, whose mandate ended on August 2, 2026. On the occasion, «The Secretary-General is grateful to Major General Ahsan for his exemplary service and leadership of MINURSO,” the UN spokesperson said in a statement.
The new general brings “over 35 years of leadership and operational experience in the Pakistan Army and United Nations peacekeeping,” according to the official document.
During his career, Major General Ahmed served as director general at Pakistan’s Ministry of Defense in Rawalpindi, where he oversaw the command, local governance and administration of all Pakistani cantonment areas, covering a population of more than 5.3 million people. His previous assignments include commanding an infantry division, serving as director general of inspection and evaluation at army headquarters, and commanding the Northern Areas Force.
His key responsibilities have also included field brigade command in high-altitude areas and cantonments, as well as serving as chief instructor at the National Command and Staff College in Quetta. Internationally, he previously served with a Pakistani battalion under the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) in Croatia.
Academically, Major General Ahmed graduated from Pakistan’s National Defense University, where he earned a Master of Arts and Sciences in War Studies as well as a master’s degree in public policy and strategic security management. He also holds a postgraduate certificate in security and strategy for global leaders from King’s College London.
A multilingual officer with an international profile, “in addition to Urdu, his native language, he is fluent in English and has a working knowledge of French,” the statement said.
