Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Major General Stefano Del Col announced that his successor Major General Lázaro Sáenz will take up his duties at the end of February.
During a meeting with Lebanon’s Defense Minister Maurice Salim, he stressed the importance of continuing to hold the periodic tripartite meetings held in Naqoura between representatives of the Lebanese army, Israeli military and UNIFIL.
Del Col touched on the excellent relationship prevailing between the international force and Lebanese citizens in the various towns and the constructive cooperation between UNIFIL and local administrations.
“The events that the UNIFIL patrols were subjected to do not reflect any hostile feelings on part of citizens in that area towards the international forces,” he said in reference to recent attacks against the peacekeepers.
For his part, Salim stressed "the importance of respecting the role of UNIFIL and facilitating its freedom to work, in cooperation with the Lebanese army, in accordance with the tasks stipulated in the relevant international resolutions, and that no problems arise between the international force and the citizens."
On Saturday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the appointment of Sáenz as head of UNIFIL.
Sáenz has had a long and distinguished career in the Spanish Army, currently serving as Adviser to the Ministry of Defense for Defense and Security cross-cutting affairs. He has since 2000 served in EUROFORCE Headquarters (Florence), NATO Rapid Deployable Corps Spain (Valencia), Spanish Brigade “Guzmán el Bueno” (Cordoba) in three assignments, Brigade Commander, Regiment Commander and Chief of Staff.
He also has vast international experience and has been deployed to Peacekeeping Operations: three tours in Bosnia & Herzegovina under the command of the United Nations (UNPROFOR), NATO (SFOR) and the European Union (EUFOR) respectively; and three additional tours in UNIFIL as a Liaison Officer in Naqoura, Chief of Staff and Sector East Commander.
Sáenz is a graduate of the General Military Academy and Spanish Army General Staff College in Spain and has academic training in the field of diplomacy, peace and security.
In addition to Spanish, he speaks English, French and Italian.
