Zambian lands top UN military post

ZAMBIA’S military advisor to the United Nations (UN), Brigadier General Francis Kasempa has been elected Dean of the Military and Police Advisors Community (MPAC-UN).

Brig-Gen Kasempa is Zambia’s Military Advisor at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations.

He is the first African military officer to have been elected to head the Military and Police Advisor Community at the United Nations.

The Military and Police Advisor Community is a committee of Military Advisors from all the 193 UN Member States.

Brig-Gen Kasempa who was unopposed during the election has pledged to put Africa first during the discharge of his duties and that he was thankful that a Zambian citizen had been accorded a chance to serve as Dean of the MPAC-UN.

The Committee has the responsibilities of deliberating security and defence matters between their Missions accredited to the UN and are divided into five regional groupings.

The groupings include African States, Asia-Pacific States, Eastern Europe States, Latin American and Caribbean States and Western Europe and other States.

Gen Kasempa is taking over from Italy’s Major General Gino Micale whose term ended.

He was elected Dean of MPAC through the mill of Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) regional elections and Africa regional elections.

And Maj Gen Micale said during the handover ceremony that the election of Brig Gen Kasempa was based on his rich CV in military coupled with his unbroken record of performance in the UN peace-keeping organisations.

This is according to a statement issued by First Secretary (Press) at the Permanent Mission of Zambia to the United Nations, Wallen Simwaka.