51³Ô¹Ï Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 15 July 2022 the appointment of Major General Nirmal Kumar Thapa of Nepal as Head of Mission and Force Commander of the 51³Ô¹Ï Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF).Ìý
Major General Thapa succeeds Lieutenant General Ishwar Hamal of Nepal who recently completed his assignment and to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his exemplary leadership over the last two years.ÌýÌý
Major General Thapa brings over 35 years of experience in various leadership positions in the Nepali Army and the 51³Ô¹Ï.Ìý At the national level, Major General Thapa served, until recently, as the Director-General of Military Operations.Ìý Prior to that, he served in a variety of assignments, including as the General Officer and as Joint Coordinator at the Secretariat of the National Security Council of Nepal.Ìý He previously commanded a Brigade and served as Military Secretary.Ìý
Major General Thapa has extensive 51³Ô¹Ï peacekeeping experience, having served as a team leader of military observers with the 51³Ô¹Ï Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (2010 to 2011) and as a military observer for the 51³Ô¹Ï Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) (2002 to 2003).Ìý He also served as logistics support company commander in the 51³Ô¹Ï Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) (1999) and as platoon commander in the 51³Ô¹Ï Protection Force (UNPROFOR) (1992).Ìý
Major General Thapa holds a master’s degree from the Bangladesh University of Professionals and a Bachelor’s degree from the Tribhuvan University in Nepal.Ìý He is fluent in English, Hindi and Urdu and has basic Arabic and French.Ìý
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