Guterres pays tribute to Indian peacekeeping leader’s ‘commitment’

United Nations, Dec 25 Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has paid tributes to the leadership and commitment of Brigadier Amitabh Jha who led the peacekeeping force along the Syria-Israel border in “complex circumstances”.

Jha, who was the acting force commander of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), died suddenly.

“The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Brigadier General Amitabh Jha of India”, his Associate Spokesperson Stephanie Trmpbaly said on Tuesday.

Jha “recently served as acting Force Commander of UNDOF in complex circumstances, following the fall of the [Basher al-] Assad government in Syria”, she said.

He joined the UNDOF in April last year as the deputy force commander and was acting as its head during a period of turmoil in the region.

UNDOF, created in 1974 by the Security Council to maintain peace and monitor the ceasefire between Israel and Syria along their border, was caught in the hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.

Israel has asked UNDOF to leave its posts in the chaos after Assad fled the country and has sent its troops in violation of Security Council resolutions to the demilitarised area under the peacekeepers.

Jha “will be remembered for his leadership and unwavering commitment to United Nations peacekeeping, including in MONUSCO as a military observer from 2005 to 2006”, Tremblay said.

MONUSCO is the French acronym for UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix, who heads UN Peace Operations, said he was “deeply saddened by the passing of” Jha.

“I met him several times and was inspired by his dedication and professionalism”, he recalled in a post on X.

An Infantry officer, Jha has commanded an Indian Army brigade in a glaciated mountainous terrain of India, and a specialised unit.

The UNDOF has 201 Indian military personnel in its 1,117-member multinational force.