UN asks Sri Lanka to immediately repatriate commander of peacekeeping contingent in Mali

The United Nations has asked the government of Sri Lanka to immediately repatriate the commander of the country's contingent in the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Mali. In response to questions received regarding the commander of the Sri Lankan contingent in Mali, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric at the regular press briefing on Friday said that the U.N. has made the request to repatriate the Sri Lankan Commander following a review of the human rights background of him.

"Following a review of the human rights background of the commander of the Sri Lankan contingent deployed to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), the Secretariat has requested that the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to immediately repatriate him to Sri Lanka," the Spokesman said. "This decision to repatriate the commander was made by the UN following a review, based on recently received information," he said without naming the commander of the contingent. The U.N. spokesman said he will be repatriated at Sri Lanka's cost, as per normal procedures. The Secretariat remains engaged with the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka, Dujarric added. Sri Lanka Army sent its first 200-member Combat Convoy Company (CCC) under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Kalana Amunupura for the UN Peace Keeping Mission in Mali in December 2017. The second CCC is expected to be sent in December to replace the first contingent.