Birhanu Jula Gelalcha ( am, ብርሃኑ ጁላ) is an Ethiopian

field marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...

of the

Ethiopian National Defense Force The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) ( am, የኢፌዲሪ መከላከያ ሠራዊት, Ye’īfēdērī mekelakeya šerawīt, lit=FDRE Defense Force) is the military force of Ethiopia. Civilian control of the military is carried out t ...

. He is currently the Chief of General Staff of Ethiopia since 4 November 2020. He served as the Force Commander of the

United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) is a United Nations peacekeeping force in Abyei, which is contested between the Republic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan. UNISFA was approved on 27 June 2011 by the United Natio ...

(UNISFA) from 2014 to 2016.

Biography

Of ethnic Oromo descent. Birhanu Jula Gelalcha holds a bachelor's degree from Alpha University College and a master's degree from

Greenwich University , mottoeng = "To learn, to do, to achieve" , former_name = Woolwich Polytechnic(1890–1970)Thames Polytechnic(1970–1992) , established = , type = Public university , budget = £214.9 million (2020) , administrative_staff = , chancel ...

, both in

Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...

. In 2006, Birhanu worked with the UN Mission in

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

and held the position of Sector Commander. He has also held various other positions with the army including with the

Ministry of National Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

, the Cadet School and Brigade Operations. From 2006 to 2009, he was the army's Deputy Commander of the Central Command. In 2010, Birhanu was appointed Commander of the Western Command in the Ethiopian Army. Birhanu was appointed as Force Commander of UNISFA on 21 November 2014 by United Nations Secretary-General

Ban Ki-moon Ban Ki-moon (; ; born 13 June 1944) is a South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations between 2007 and 2016. Prior to his appointment as secretary-general, Ban was his country's Minister ...

. At the time, he was a

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

. He was promoted to

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

sometime before 9 December 2015. His term ended on 15 January 2016 with the appointment of Major General

Hassen Ebrahim Mussa General Hassen Ebrahim Mussa is a general with the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF). He served as the Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) from 2016–2017. Biographical information General Mussa ...

. On 8 January 2022, Birhanu was promoted to

Field marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...

(or "Field marshal general", the rank varies among sources) by prime minister Abiy Ahmed and president

Sahle-Work Zewde Sahle-Work Zewde (, born 21 February 1950) is an Ethiopian politician and diplomat who is the president of Ethiopia since 2018, being the first woman to hold the office. She was elected as president unanimously by members of the Federal Parli ...

References

Ethiopian generals Ethiopian officials of the United Nations Living people 1965 births {{UN-bio-stub