The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has appointed Major General Anita Asmah of Ghana as the Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). She is set to assume the position in January 2025, succeeding Lieutenant General Nirmal Kumar Thapa of Nepal, whose tenure ends in mid-December 2024.
Major General Asmah becomes the third Ghanaian female officer to take on a top role within the UN and the second military officer to achieve such a distinction. She follows in the footsteps of the late Brigadier General Constance Emefa Edjeani-Afenu, the first Ghanaian female military officer to hold a senior UN position, and her successor, Naval Commodore Faustina Boakyewaa Anokye.
UNDOF, established to oversee the ceasefire between Israel and Syria, plays a critical role in maintaining stability in the region.
Extensive Experience
With over 31 years of leadership and command experience, Major General Asmah has an extensive background in the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and United Nations peacekeeping missions. Most recently, she served as Director General of the Department of Defence Civilian Establishment within the GAF.
Her prior roles include Deputy Force Commander of UNDOF (2021–2023), Staff Officer with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and Military Observer with the United Nations Organisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC). She has also served as Director of Education and Deputy Military Secretary in the GAF and was a Course Director at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre.
Major General Asmah holds Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law degrees from the University of Ghana and is fluent in English and French, equipping her for the high-level demands of her new role.
Her appointment underscores Ghana’s continued contribution to global peacekeeping efforts and highlights the increasing prominence of female leadership in international security.