New Delhi: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Tuesday appointed Indian Army’s Lieutenant General Mohan Subramanian as the new Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), succeeding fellow officer Lieutenant General Shailesh Tinaikar.
Prior to Subramanian’s selection to the post, India has provided fifteen Force Commanders who have served in various UN missions.
What is the UNMISS
In 2011, South Sudan gained independence and became a new country. The creation of South Sudan marked the end of a deadly conflict spanning more than 20 years and a civil war between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
However, assessing the security situation in South Sudan as volatile and posing a threat to international peace even after its independence, the UNMISS was first established in 2011 under Security Council Resolution 1996.
The mission has four main pillars which include protecting civilians, and creating conditions conducive to the delivery of humanitarian assistance. It also supports the implementation of the “revitalised agreement and the peace process” and monitors, investigates, and reports on violations of humanitarian and human rights law.
Since its inception, the Security Council resolution has been renewed every year with the UN body maintaining that the situation in South Sudan continues to pose a threat to global security. In fact this year, the Security Council Resolution 2625 was adopted to renew the UNMISS till 15 March 2023.
India for decades has had a strong association and presence with UN peacekeeping missions. Since 1948, over 2,00,000 Indians have served in 49 UN peacekeeping missions. Currently, India has a presence in eight out of fourteen UN peacekeeping missions, with 5,400 military personnel serving.
In addition to Lt. Gen Subramanian’s appointment, India has provided fifteen Force Commanders, two military advisors, one deputy military advisor to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, two divisions commanders and eight Deputy Force Commanders in various United Nations missions.
Lt. Gen Subramanian’s career graph
Lieutenant General Subramanian has served in the army for more than 36 years. He was serving as the Commandant of Defence Services Staff College in Wellington when he got appointed to the UN mission. He also served as the General Officer Commanding, Military Region (Operational and Logistic Readiness Zone) in central India. In that role, Lt Gen Subramanian was responsible for the Army’s operational and logistic preparedness.
Sources in the defence and security establishment said ThePrint that Subramanian was commissioned in the Corps of Army Air Defence in June 1986. He is an alumnus of Sainik School in Tamil Nadu’s Amaravathinagar and the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla and the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun.
Apart from serving in various command and staff postings, Lt. Gen Subramanian has also been posted abroad as India’s Defence Attaché to Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia between 2008-2012. He also served as a staff officer with the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone in 2000.
Lieutenant General Subramanian holds two M. Phil degrees in Defence and Management Studies and Social Sciences.
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Source: The Print
