Salihu Zaway Uba of Nigeria was Friday appointed as the new force commander for the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), by UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon.

Uba will succeed Leonard Muriuki Ngondi of Kenya, who will complete his tour of duty Feb 25, 2015, Xinhua reported.Uba served as a sector commander in UNMIL from 2010 to 2012 and as company commander in the UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR) from 1992 to 1993.UNMIL was set up in 2003 to bolster a ceasefire agreement in Liberia after a civil war killed almost 150,000 Liberians — mostly civilians — and forced some 850,000 others to flee to neighbouring countries.In December 2014, the UN Security Council (UNSC) extended the mandate of UNMIL for nine more months until Sep 30, 2015 so that the mission can continue to provide humanitarian assistance and electoral support, and promote and protect human rights in Liberia.