UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced on December 10 the appointment of Major-General Victory Rana as Force Commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), the Cyprus News Agency reported on December 11.

The Nepalese succeeds Major-General Evergisto Arturo de Vergara of Argentina, whose tenure expires on December 15.

Rana was enlisted as a cadet in the Nepalese Army in 1966. Born in 1945, he is a graduate of the United States' Army War College and the German Command and General Staff College as well as the Indian Army Senior Command course.

He is presently serving as the Inspector-General of the Royal Nepalese Army.

He has held a range of military appointments in his country including Commandant at the Royal Nepalese Army Command and Staff College, battalion commander (1981-1985) and brigade commander (1995-1996).

Rana served in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon in 1980-1981 as a military information officer and he was military assistant to the Force Commander in 1989-1990.