UN appoints Italian general to lead Lebanon peacekeeping force

"We will continue to work for peace and stability."

With these words, General Diodato Abagnara officially took command of UNIFIL, the United Nations mission in southern Lebanon, CE Report quotes ANSA.

He is the fifth Italian in the nearly fifty-year history of the organization to lead the almost 10,000 troops that make up the peacekeeping force.

This is a role of great responsibility, especially in today’s context, as the entire region grapples with “fragile stability.”

“I count on the full cooperation of the United Nations family,” said the general, “on the contributions of individual countries, and especially on the ability of the Blue Helmets to implement Resolution 1701 in the best possible way.”

The new commander took over from his predecessor, Spanish General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz, during an official ceremony held at the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, attended by Lebanon’s top military and political officials, including the Chief of the Italian Defense Staff, General Luciano Portolano, who previously led the UN mission from 2014 to 2016.

“The Italian contingent,” Abagnara concluded, “plays a fundamental role, ensuring peace and stability in a very special land that is both loved and respected.”