General Rookmangud Katowal is the ex-Chief of Army Staff

Chief of Staff

The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...

 of the Nepali Army.

Biography

A graduate of the Indian National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy, he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Nepal's Tribhuwan University and a Masters Degree in National Defence from Pakistan's Quaid-i-Azam University. General Katowal is also the Distinguished International Honour Graduate of the US Special Forces Course, and earned the coveted Gideon in the U.S. Ranger Course. He is also a graduate of the Army Command and Staff College, Camberley

Staff College, Camberley

Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...

 UK, the Senior Command Course, India and the National Defence University, Islamabad

National Defence University, Islamabad

The National Defense University is an institution of higher education funded by the Ministry of Defence of Government of Pakistan, intended to facilitate high-level training, education, and the development of national security strategy...

, Pakistan.

Military career

In 1988 he became the Chief Military Personnel Officer of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon

United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, was created by the United Nations, with the adoption of Security Council Resolution 425 and 426 on 19 March 1978, to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon which Israel had invaded five days prior, restore international peace and security,...

. General Katowal was appointed as Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Nepalese Army on 10 September 2006. Earlier, he was Chief of General Staff from 10 September 2004 to 10 September 2006 in the rank of Lieutenant General, and commanded the then Western Division in the peak of counterinsurgency operations between December 2003 and August 2004. General Katowal is also 'Colonel Commandant' of his old battalion, Shree Pashupati Prasad.

On 29 December 2001, General Katowal was appointed the first co-coordinator of the National Security Council Secretariat. He also served as the Adjutant General (AG) and the Director of Military Intelligence of the Nepalese Army, and as the Commandant of the Royal Nepalese Military Academy. He holds the distinction of having commanded three consecutive Brigades, two Infantry and one Special Forces. He has also served in the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) in the Suez Canal area, and has been the Nepalese Government's Liaison Officer to the Brigade of Gurkhas of the British Army and Government of Hong Kong, and the Chief Military Personnel Officer of the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Positions and controversy

He has been fiercely resisting group integration of Maoist rebels into the National Army and has been at odds with Maoist government on several other issues. Controversy surrounding his relationship with the ruling government, largely focused on recruiting issues, led to his brief sacking on May 3, 2009. It was also rumored that he had a strong backing from Indian government. Protests in response to his sacking included the withdrawal of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist)

Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist)

The Communist Party of Nepal , also known as CPN-UML, CPN, is one of the largest communist parties in Nepal. It was created on January 6, 1991 through the unification of the Communist Party of Nepal and the Communist Party of Nepal...

 from the ruling coalition government. The CPN-Maoists at the head of the coalition then named Lt. General Kul Bahadur Khadka

Kul Bahadur Khadka

Lieutenant General Kul Bahadur Khadka was an officer of the Nepali Army. He was appointed as the acting chief of Army Staff by Prime Minister Prachanda on May 3, 2009 when he replaced Chief of Army Staff General Rookmangud Katawal, but Katawal was reinstated by President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav on the...

 as a replacement COAS. Shortly afterwards, the President of Nepal

President of Nepal

The position of President of Nepal constitutes the head of state of Nepal and was created after the country was declared a republic in May 2008. Girija Prasad Koirala was the first head of state of Nepal elected by the major parties on 19 May 2006. The current head of state of Nepal is President...

 overrode both decisions and ordered him to continue his service. This resulted in Prime Minister Prachanda

Prachanda

Puspa Kamal Dahal ; born Chhabilal Dahal on 11 December 1954, also known as Prachanda ]]. Prachanda led CPN as it launched an insurgency on 13 February 1996. In 2008 the ensuing civil war culminated in the overthrow of the Shah dynasty in favor of a communist...

's resignation and a general collapse of the government.