United Nations, June 05: A Bangladesh Brigadier-General will lead the United Nations Military Observer Mission in Cote D'ivoire, the world body has announced. In a letter to the Security Council, secretary-general Kofi Annan said he has appointed Gen. Abdul Hafiz as Chief Military Liaison Officer of Minuci as the mission is known.
He also informed the council president that India, Austria, Bangladesh, Benin, Ghana, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Poland, Moldavia, Enegal, Tunisia and Uruguay have agreed to provide military liaison officers for the initial group of 26 officers. Minuci was established last month to help guide efforts to implement the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement, a French-brokered peace accord reached in January that calls on the government, rebels and political opposition to share power in a transitional government until elections in 2005.
The new mission includes a military component to complement the operations of the French and the forces of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The tasks of the military liaison group includes advising the secretary-general's special representative on military matters; monitoring military situation, including the security of Liberian refugees; and establishing links with the French and ECOWAS forces, as well as with the Forces Armees Nationales De Cote D'ivoire (FANCI) and the forces nouvelle, in order to build confidence and trust between the armed groups. Bureau Report