Abu Dhabi: The UAE has always given its full support for the use of UAE forces in international peacekeeping missions in countries affected by armed conflicts and wars.
General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, said in a statement to the Nation Shield after the conclusion of the joint military exercise “Gulf 2012”.
The magazine said that the Armed Forces have played a vital role in international peacekeeping missions across the world, thus reflecting the principles and values of the UAE’s foreign policy. It highlighted the UAE armed forces’ distinguished status and their brilliant history which is filled with achievements.
The history of the effective participation of the UAE Armed Forces in peace keeping operations dates back to 1976 when they participated in the peace keeping mission as part of the Arab shield forces in Lebanon during the civil war.
The Armed Forces participated in the liberation of Kuwait as part of the Peninsula Shield Forces in 1991 before they participated within the UN forces in the “Hope Revival” mission in Somalia in 1992.
In 1999, the UAE Armed Forces participated in the UN peace keeping mission in Kosovo, where they set up camps to shelter thousands of Kosovar refugees who were displaced during the civil war.
Also, the specialist army forces are supporting the UN mission in Afghanistan, where they are the only Arab soldiers undertaking full-scale operations. Specialist army forces with armoured vehicles are supporting the UN mission in Afghanistan
The Government has always given its full support to the use of UAE forces in international peacekeeping missions. Describing the troops’ role as “maintaining world peace and security”, President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan have earlier called their deployment overseas an “important arm by which the UAE can apply its humanitarian principles”.
The magazine emphasised the strength of the military and its key role in international peacekeeping efforts that include operations in Lebanon, Somalia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and recently Libya.
The Armed Forces have also involved in aid distribution, with patrols sometimes facing attacks by insurgents and, on occasions, fighting their way out of Taliban ambushes. Their role includes providing protection for relief workers and offering a stable environment for the rebuilding of communities in a number of provinces. Their involvement over the past five years reflects the Government’s desire to see a Muslim presence in reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, which include work on new schools, medical clinics and mosques.
