52 peacekeepers from El Salvador are trained in Spain to go to Lebanon

Alberto Lopez

The Ministry of Defense of El Salvador recently dispatched 52 military to serve as UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.

The 52 members who are part of the Twelfth Interim Forces Contingent of the United Nations in Lebanon (UNIFIL) left the second week of February for Spain.
The peacekeepers came from the military base of the Second Air Brigade based at El Salvador International Airport, in an airplane of the Air Force of the Kingdom of Spain .

The contingent of UNIFIL will stay for three months in Gando Air Base on the island Gran Canaria, where they receive pre deployment
training with the Spanish contingent, later to be incorporated into Lebanon.

The 12th second contingent of UNIFIL , commanded by Colonel Felix Edgardo Velasquez Aparicio , will perform tactical missions of
security, control and inspection of roads, patrols and medical assistance to civilians.

The mission of the Armed Forces of El Salvador performed as blue helmets in Lebanon is covered in Resolution 2305 of the United Nations (UN), to assist with the restoration of peace and safety of the nation.

Photo: Ministry of Defense of El Salvador.

Source: www.infodefensa.com

Originally UNIFIL was established in1978 pursuant to Security Council resolutions 425 and 426. It aimed at: confirming Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon; restoring international peace and security; and assisting the Lebanese Government in restoring its effective authority in the area.

Following the July/August 2006 Israeli war, the Security Council, by resolution 1701, has significantly enhanced UNIFIL and expanded its original mandate to:

• Monitor the cessation of hostilities;
• Accompany and support the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) as they deploy throughout the south, while Israel withdraws its forces from Lebanon;
• Coordinate its activities with the governments of Lebanon and Israel;
• Extend its assistance to help insure humanitarian access to civilian populations and the voluntary and safe return of displaced persons;
• Assist the LAF in establishing an area between the Blue Line and the Litani river free of armed personnel, weapons and assets other than those of UNIFIL and the Lebanese government; and
• Assist the government of Lebanon in securing its borders and other entry points to prevent the unauthorized entry of arms or related material.

There is a continued national consensus on UNIFIL and its mission. Not only the government of Lebanon, but also the people of Lebanon have a deep appreciation for the work carried out by the UN peace keepers in cooperation with its strategic partner, the LAF. The deployment of the LAF with UNIFIL’S robust support has brought about a strategic change in the security environment of southern Lebanon. The strategic partnership of the two forces has effected steady improvement in the security situation in the area through the last seven years. This is reflected in the normal daily life of the people and the general economic development so amply evident across south Lebanon.

Since June 2008, El Salvador has been actively taking part in the UN operations with a 52 men-strong contingent. In fact the UNIFIL mission is the largest in the number of troops contributed by the Armed Forces of El Salvador. To date over 364 peace keepers have participated in the peace keeping mission. Motorized and on-foot patrolling, vehicle control, demining and medical assistance to civilians are some of the activities performed by the eighth contingent of Salvadoran troops. The current peace operations of the Armed Forces of El Salvador include Lebanon, Western Sahara, Liberia, Sudan, Ivory Coast, Haiti and Abyei. The Armed Forces of El Salvador have also had a military presence in Afghanistan since 2001 within the framework of the International Security Assistance Force led by NATO. This reflects the commitment of El Salvador to the international community in general and its interest in maintaining Lebanon’s security and stability in particular. The relationship that has been created since 2008 is one based on mutual respect and genuine feelings of community where the Salvadoran peace keepers equally benefit from the hospitality extended to them by the local population and by sharing in the rich culture and traditions of south Lebanon.

New Salvadoran Troop Contingent Joins Peacekeeping Mission in Lebanon

Under the imposing summer sun of the Salvadoran sky, the 52 members of the XII contingent of Blue Helmets from the Salvadoran Armed Forces (FAES) lifted their packs onto their shoulders on March 1st as they prepared to travel to the Middle East to join the United Nations (UN) Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

The mission for UNIFIL, which is made up of 30 countries, is to achieve a permanent ceasefire and long-term solution to the conflict between Lebanon and Israel. “We are protecting the civilian population, preventing more fighting in the area, and helping to stabilize the country,” stated Defense Minister David Munguía Payés during the farewell ceremony for the UNIFIL XII contingent. “For the FAES, it is always a great honor to join other Military forces that are working for world peace.”

UN Security Council Resolution 1701 extended UNIFIL’s presence until August 31st, stressing its positive role in establishing a new strategic environment that merits the intensification of this cooperation. The UNIFIL peacekeeping mission was established in March 1978, through an agreement by the U.N. Security Council. El Salvador's presence in Lebanon is the result of Resolution 2115.

International cooperation

The FAES Troops are joining an important international mission to support the Israeli and Lebanese authorities in upholding the demarcation established by the UN on June 7, 2000. This border, known as the “blue line”, is a sign of the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, said Brigadier General Luis Walter Ortiz, Commander of the Salvadoran Military's Doctrine and Military Education Command (CODEM).

The UNIFIL XII contingent – the largest ever assigned by the FAES to a peacekeeping operation – will spend three months at the General Alemán Ramírez Military Base on the Grand Canari Islands, Spain, where it will participate in peacekeeping training operations with the U.S. Army prior to deployment. Since 2008, the FAES has integrated 520 peacekeepers into the Spanish contingent.

Upon arriving in the Middle East, the Salvadoran Blue Helmets will help the Lebanese Armed Forces monitor the “blue line” and establish a weapons-free zone between that line and the Litani River. The UNIFIL XI will also support Israeli and Lebanese authorities in providing humanitarian assistance to victims of the conflict and repatriating displaced civilians.

Demining training

The FAES Troops, who will also assist in disabling and destroying explosive devices, received training in this skill at the International Demining Center in Spain.

“We have trained for several weeks to join this mission,” said Colonel Edgardo Velásquez Aparicio Hernández, the Commandor of the Salvadoran Contingent. “And while it is hard to leave our families, we are convinced that we are supporting an international effort to maintain peace and protect civilians who need us.”

The UNIFIL XII contingent previously trained at the CODEM Center for Peacekeeping Operations. The facility has a modern complex that was financed by a $1.3 million donation from the Global Fund for Peacekeeping Operations Program through the U.S. Southern Command and the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador.

“Our Troops participated in simulations of peacekeeping operations with all the characteristics of the situations they will face in the Middle East,” explained Brig. Gen. Ortiz during the UNIFIL contingent’s farewell ceremony. “We are confident in their abilities to adhere exactly to the expertise they have acquired.”