Beirut: Lebanon has hosted the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) since 1978 when several hundred peacekeepers arrived in the aftermath of that year’s Israeli invasion.

At the time, the United Nations Security Council voted on two critical resolutions, 425 and 426 (March, 19 1978), to accelerate the Israeli withdrawal, restore international peace and security, and help Lebanon regain its lost authority over the area. Unifil proved to be essential to maintain regional peace, and while the Security Council renewed its mandate by year after year and for nearly four decades, the force literally transformed the area. It also acculturated thousands of foreign military personnel to Lebanese norms and way of life.

Of course, Unifil’s presence could not prevent another Israeli invasion in 1982 — which resulted in a sustained occupation until a partial withdrawal in 2000 (with the Shebaa farms still subjugated) — as neither the UN nor major powers authorised the force to act. Rather, its mandate was limited to monitoring belligerents, first Palestinian commandos and later Hezbollah operatives. The area was peppered with no access zones that prevented clashes and, at least to some extent, kept relative peace.

Yet, and following the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, the Security Council enhanced Unifil’s mandate, and authorised it to monitor the cessation of hostilities; accompany and support the Lebanese Army that was finally authorised to deploy to Southern Lebanon; and extend humanitarian assistance to the civilian populations.

Nationalities

Remarkably, and over the course of nearly four decades, thousands of peacekeepers served under the Unifil banner, many of whom forged close ties with locals. As of June 1, 2017, Unifils’s force consisted of a total 10,583 peacekeepers drawn from 40 troop-contributing countries, the bulk of whom are from Indonesia, Italy, India, Ghana, Malaysia and France, although several other countries made significant contributions as well.

Fatalities

Seldom discussed but hugely significant were the number of fatalities, which topped the 250 figure, often involving mine-clearing incidents or treacherous attacks by extremist forces. Ireland, France, Fiji, Ghana, Nepal, Norway, Senegal and Spain paid the heaviest price although other nationalities saw their soldiers killed in battle too.

The first casualty occurred on March 29, 1978 when Karl-Oscar Johansson (Sweden) drove on a landmine and was thrown from his vehicle and died at Khardala Bridge. At the height of the 2006 Israeli war with Hezbollah, five UN peacekeepers were killed by Israeli air and artillery strikes that targeted their positions, which drew mild rebukes in New York. Three Belgian soldiers were killed in an armoured vehicle accident in March 2007, and three Colombian and three Spanish soldiers were killed in a Hezbollah bomb blast between Marjayoun and Khiam in June of that same year. Several French soldiers perished in 2007 as well.

Interactions with local populations

Notwithstanding these tragic developments, Unifil personnel gained solid reputations as they interacted with the local population, sharing with the latter their rich customs and acquiring a feel for the local culture. Although Unifil is first and foremost a military operation, it may be safe to state that one of its principal achievements may well be how well it conducted and continues to handle civil affairs.

These range the gamut, from supporting local communities help build sorely needed infrastructure, to providing free medical, dental, and veterinary services. Working with local authorities, Unifil contingents developed water and sanitation facilities in remote villages long neglected by the State, taught youngsters various languages in what must be unique opportunities to empower many with life-changing experiences, and conducted cooking, yoga, martial arts, as well as a variety of other activities.

In the aftermath of the 2006 war, Unifil introduced Quick Impact Projects, which are small-scale, rapidly implementable initiatives, to address pressing needs — particularly water and electricity, as well as rehabilitation of roads and related social infrastructure, which suffered significant destruction.

Often forgotten in the melee and after so many years, perhaps one of the more interesting features of the Unifil presence in Lebanon is the number of local women marrying foreign soldiers, either to emigrate or, in certain instances, to see the soldiers return to live in Southern Lebanon at the completion of their service. Even if such anecdotal evidence merely reflected unpremeditated contacts, there were, inevitably, profound interactions between the thousands of foreign soldiers who served as peacekeepers in Lebanon, and a population grateful for their sacrifices to maintain peace along the southern border. While serving away from home is always difficult, the Unifil experience stood as a particularly successful outcome to a region mired in perpetual conflict.