UN denies removal of UN peacekeeping force commander in Cyprus
The UN has denied reports of the removal of Lieutenant General Mohammad Asadullah Minhazul Alam, commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). Mission spokesperson Alim Siddique said that Alam remains the UNFICYP force commander and continues to perform his duties as part of the mission.
UN mission’s position
As Cyprus Mail reports, a UNFICYP representative confirmed that the mission is aware of media publications containing “speculation” about the commander’s status. According to Siddique, to avoid misunderstandings, the UN stressed that Lieutenant General Minhazul Alam continues to lead the mission’s force and carry out his duties.
Reports of complaints
The UN statement came after publications by local media, which claimed that Alam had returned to Bangladesh after allegedly being recalled from the mission over complaints about his treatment of subordinate officers. According to these reports, on September 4, he flew from Cyprus to Bangladesh on a commercial flight. The trip was initially described as a personal visit during a three-day leave, but was later linked to his alleged removal from the mission.
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Media also wrote about complaints from Alam’s aide-de-camp and another UNFICYP officer. They allegedly concerned harsh and inappropriate behavior and, according to reports, were referred to the UN psychiatric or medical service. Separately, claims were made that Alam allegedly sought to obtain or had obtained administrative privileges, and that he also took actions regarding mission facilities that were considered excessive.
At the same time, the available reports do not contain full details of the complaints and do not establish whether a formal investigation was conducted into them. No established violations by Alam have been reported.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Alam as UNFICYP force commander in April. Before the appointment, he held senior positions in the Bangladesh Army, including as commander of the Army Training and Doctrine Command.
