Indian Army’s Lt Gen Shailesh Tinaikar Appointed New Force Commander Of UN Mission In South Sudan

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has appointed a decorated Indian Army officer, Lieutenant General (Lt Gen) Shailesh Tinaikar as the new Force Commander of the UN's mission in the war-torn South Sudan, reports New Indian Express.

The 57-year-old Lt Gen Tinaikar, recipient of the prestigious Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal, has been appointed to take the position after Lt Gen Frank Kamanzi of Rwanda completed his term on 26 May.

He had a long and distinguished career with the Indian Armed Forces spanning over 34 years. Lt Gen Tinaikar, who graduated from the Indian Military Academy in 1983, had served as the Additional Director General of Military Operations at the Army Headquarters from 2017 to 2018. Before that, from 2012 to 2017, he had been commanding a division, a recruit training centre and a brigade.

Lt Gen Dinaikar had earlier also served in various United Nations mission. From 1996 to 1997, he served in the UN Angola Verification Mission III and UN Mission in Sudan from 2008 to 2009.