 From July 2001, he was counsellor of the "Chef d’état-major des armées" (CEMA, Chief of Staff of the French army) for Africa and Middle East.On 26 January 2004, he took command of the UNIFIL, succeeding to General Lalit Mohan Tewari.On 25 July 2006, a UN observation post was attacked by Israeli forces after Israel claimed that Hezbollah fired rockets from the area.