UNMIS Holds a Ceremony in Memoriam of the Murdered Brigadier General Moin-Ud-Din Ahmed, Deputy Force Commander

The United Nations Mission in Sudan held a memorial ceremony in remembrance of Brigadier General Moin-Ud-Din Ahmed who lost his life earlier today in an armed attack while on leave in Islamabad, Pakistan. Brigadier General Moin-Ud-Din, who served in various positions in the Pakistani Army, joined UNMIS as Deputy Force Commander in June this year. He had also served in the UN Peacekeeping Operations in Somalia in 1994.

The ceremony started at 15:30 hours Khartoum time with a silent salute from the UN Rwandan contingent, followed by the lowering of the UN flag to half-mast and a trumpet salute. The attendees observed a two- minute silence in remembrance of their lost colleague.

The UN Secretary General's Special Representative for Sudan, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi gave a short speech indicating the contribution of Brig. Gen. Moin-Ud-Din to peacekeeping in Sudan and conveying a message of condolence he received from Mr. Alain Leroy, the UN Under Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations to the family of the deceased and UNMIS Staff, for the loss of their senior colleague.

Mr Qazi then laid a wreath at the cenotaph under the flag. He was followed by speeches from UNMIS Force Commander, General Paban Thapa and, a representative of the UNMIS National Staff Association and the most Senior Pakistani Officer from the Pakistani Contingent serving in UNMIS.

The sad occasion was concluded by raising UN flag once more and a final military salute from the Rwandan Ceremony Guard.

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