UNAMID pays tribute to its outgoing Deputy Force Commander

By UNAMID
Featured News
May 03, 2009

El Fasher, 3 May 2009 -- The African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur, (UNAMID) today bid farewell to its outgoing Deputy Force Commander, Major-General Emmanuel Karake Karenzi. Major-General Karenzi, a Rwandan national, joined the former African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) in 2007 and later UNAMID since its inception in January 2008. He will be leaving the Mission soon and will be replaced by Major-General Duna Dumisani from the Republic of South Africa.

During a befitting farewell ceremony organized in his honor, General Martin Luther Agwai commended the work of Major-General Karenzi, highlighting the major tasks and challenges undertaken in setting up the Mission. General Agwai stated that he has found his Deputy to be a capable general officer and a fine colleague who, on several occasions, handled trying and delicate operational situations. General Agwai also described him as an amiable officer and a gentleman, knowledgeable and vastly experienced in military tactics. The Force Commander expressed his personal thanks for the onerous job he has done in UNAMID. “We would not have been able to accomplish our modest achievements if I had not had a capable and dependable Deputy like General Karenzi. The fatherly role which he plays towards the Rwandan Contingent deployed in UNAMID, has been a contributory factor to the high level of discipline they exhibit and the successes they have achieved in the Mission.”

The Deputy Force Commander commended the efforts of the troops in Darfur, for sacrificing their time away from their families to come and serve in Darfur. “I have a lot of respect for all of you for being able to make this sacrifice,” he said. He assured the troops that he would continue to be a part of the UNAMID family, to be an advocate, an Ambassador, because the troops deserve an Ambassador, because UNAMID must succeed and because of the great men and women who mean well and sacrifice so much.

Major General Karenzi also thanked the Force Commander, General Agwai for the great privilege of having served under him, and for contributing to the kind of knowledge that he has.

The ceremony was attended by UNAMID troops and staff, among them senior UNAMID civilian and military officials.

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