UNITED NATIONS, Feb 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) – UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, yesterday, announced the appointment of Maj. Gen. Aroldo Lazaro Saenz of Spain, as head of mission and force commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), said his press office.
Lazaro Saenz succeeds Maj. Gen. Stefano Del Col of Italy, who will shortly complete his assignment.
Lazaro Saenz has had a long and distinguished career in the Spanish army, currently serving as a Defence Ministry adviser. He has, since 2000, served in the European Rapid Operational Force Headquarters (Florence, Italy) NATO Rapid Deployable Corps Spain (Valencia), and Spanish Brigade “Guzman el Bueno” (Cordoba). Lazaro Saenz has been deployed to peacekeeping operations: three tours in Bosnia and Herzegovina and three tours with UNIFIL.
UNIFIL was first established in 1978, to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. After the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, UNIFIL’s mandate was expanded to monitor the cessation of hostilities and to accompany the deployment of Lebanese armed forces throughout southern Lebanon as Israel withdraws its troops.
