African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Alpha Oumar Konare on Wednesday appointed General Martin Luther Agwai of Nigeria as the new force commander in Sudan's Darfur region.

According to a press release, Agwai is appointed by Konare, in consultation with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, and will report to Rodolphe Adada, joint AU-UN special representative for Darfur. He will serve first as the force commander of the AU Mission in Sudan (AMIS) and ultimately as the force commander of the AU-UN Hybrid Operation.

Agwai was born on Nov. 8, 1948 in Kaduna, Nigeria. He has been chief of defense staff of the Nigerian armed forces since June 1, 2006. Before that, he held several senior positions in the Nigerian army, including chief of army staff. In his military career, he also served as deputy force commander of the UN Mission in Siera Leone (UNAMSIL), and adviser in the Department of Peacekeeping Operation at the UN headquarters in New York.

Source: Xinhua