An Ethiopian military man has been appointed new head of the UN Security Force in Abyei.

Major General Birhanu Jula Gelalcha was named the new Force Commander of UNISFA by Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General.

General Birhanu is succeeding Lieutenant General Yohannes Gebremeskel Tesfamariam, also an Ethiopian.

In a statement, the UN says the former force commander completed his assignment on the 19th of June this year.

Incoming Major General Gelalcha is said to have had a long career with the Ethiopian Army, most recently serving as the Commander of the Western Command since 2010.

UNISFA was mandated by the UN Security Council to provide interim security in Abyei after the Sudan Armed Forces seized the area in May 2011.

Sudan and South Sudan have not agreed on how to organize a referendum to determine the status of the disputed region.