UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has paid tribute to Brigadier General Amitabh Jha of India serving with UNDOF in the Golan Heights, saying he will be remembered for his “leadership and unwavering commitment to UN peacekeeping”.
Brigadier Jha has been serving as the Deputy Force Commander of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) since April 2023 and most recently served as Acting Force Commander of UNDOF in the complex situation following the fall of the Assad regime in Syria.
“He will be remembered for his leadership and unwavering commitment to UN peacekeeping, including as Military Observer of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) from 2005 to 2006,” the spokesperson said in a statement. Guterres said late Tuesday.
#General Upendra Dwivedi #COAS and all categories #Indian Army Deepest condolences on the untimely death of Brigadier Amitabh Jha due to medical reasons #UN On mission as Deputy Force Commander (DFC). #United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF),… pic.twitter.com/AaLZTgTFD8
– ADG PI – Indian Army (@adgpi) December 24, 2024
The statement said that the Secretary-General conveys his deepest condolences to the family of Brigadier General Jha and the Government of India for their loss.
Earlier, the Indian Army paid tribute to Brig Jha in a post on X saying, “#Gen Upendradwivedi #COAS & all ranks of #IndianArmy deeply mourn the untimely demise of Brig Amitabh Jha due to medical reasons.”
“The Indian Army stands firm with the bereaved family in this hour of grief,” added the post with Jha’s photo.
According to the UNDOF website, Brigadier Jha joined the UNDOF mission on April 14, 2023. He was an infantry officer and commanded a special unit as a brigade and commanding officer in India’s glaciated mountainous terrain, before being deployed to UNDOF.
Jha was keenly interested in reading “military diplomacy, geopolitics, Indo-Pacific, modern and small wars, sub-conventional warfare and tribal and culture”, it said, adding that he was a keen sports enthusiast, who played army games and enjoyed backpacking in the mountains.
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