The Secretary-General is saddened at the passing of Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Erskine, of Ghana, at the age of 86.
Lt. Gen. Erskine served as UNIFIL’s first Force Commander from 1978 to 1981, a particularly difficult time for south Lebanon. He led the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the initial implementation of Security Council Resolution 425 (1978).
Lt. Gen. Erskine worked in very challenging circumstances, during ongoing conflict, to restore international peace and security and assist the Lebanese Government in restoring its authority in the country’s south.
The Secretary-General extends his condolences to Lt. Gen. Erskine’s family and to the Government of Ghana for their loss.
Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General