Paulo Gonçalves

Peacekeepers day (29May) Dia dos Capacetes Azuis

72 years ago, on the 29th May 1948, the United Nations Security Council approved the deployment of a Group of Military Observers (UNMO) to Middle East, tasked to observe and maintain the ceasefire during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. In 2003, the UN General Assembly decided that this date (29 May) should be considered the “InternationalContinuar lendo “Peacekeepers day (29May) Dia dos Capacetes Azuis”

Bosnia Dec95 – Handover from UN to NATO

Back in 1995, when the United States finally managed to bring the three Bosnian belligerents to the Peace Agreement table, in Dayton, it was decided that the UN contingents would be substituted by a NATO lead force, starting in December 1995. The new Allied Force would have more vigorous Rules of Engagement, and more fireContinuar lendo “Bosnia Dec95 – Handover from UN to NATO”

National Balance in UN expert matters’ Teams

UN Military Observers (UNMO or MILOBS) and Military Advisors (MILAD) teams excel for their national heterogeneity. All UNMO/MILAD teams had that characteristic. In fact, when the mission HQ department of human resources decides where to post the newcomers, they always look for a “National Balance” among each team. The goal is to avoid repeating theContinuar lendo “National Balance in UN expert matters’ Teams”

Terrorists kill 14 in a maternity hospital in Kabul

António Guterres – UN Secretary-General – strongly condemned the horrific attacks that devastated several locations in Afghanistan on the 12th May 2020. The most horrific (suicide) attack occurred in a Kabul Maternity Hospital Attacked, killing 14 and wounded 15 people, including women and children. Two newborn babies were among those killed. Authorities reported 4 moreContinuar lendo “Terrorists kill 14 in a maternity hospital in Kabul”

“Atrás das linhas do inimigo” – a história real

O quente mês de junho de 1995 chegou a uma quinta-feira, enquanto me encontrava de turno nocturno na consola radar do Centro de Controlo Aéreo de Belgrado, vigilando a Zona de Exclusão Aérea (No Fly Zone) da Bósnia Herzegovina. A NATO tinha feito “air stricks” recentemente sobre as posições Sérvias que sitiavam Srebrenica, e oContinuar lendo ““Atrás das linhas do inimigo” – a história real”

UN casualties in Mali

According to the French news agency “France 24”, several UN Troops were killed after hitting an Improvised Explosive Devise (IED) in Mali. On Sunday 10May2020, three UN troops were killed and four wounded after their convoy hit a roadside bomb. “We will have to make every effort to identify and apprehend those responsible for theseContinuar lendo “UN casualties in Mali”

Cessar-Fogo Mundial por causa do COVID.

António Guterres tentou; muitos acharam impossível mas a coisa pegou. Gradualmente, 16 zonas de conflito estavam a alinhar no projecto e vários Países do Security Council da ONU elaboraram projectos de uma Resolução nesse sentido. De repente, no dia em que se comemorava o fim da II WW, os Russos disseram que necessitavam de maisContinuar lendo “Cessar-Fogo Mundial por causa do COVID.”

O Carro Chetnik

Quando se cumpre uma missão da ONU em teatros de operação distantes, vivem-se situações indeléveis que balizam as nossas memórias. Algumas experiências são mais marcantes do que outras, mas todas dignas de registo. Recordo uma patrulha no bairro de Ilidza em Sarajevo – 1995 – quando nos cruzamos com um ícone do Cerco a SarajevoContinuar lendo “O Carro Chetnik”

Ilidza’s Chetnik Car (Bosnia 1995)

In October 1995, during the days when the Dayton Agreements were being discussed, I was driving through Sarajevo’s Serb neighborhood of Ilidza, providing situation awareness to a recently arrived UN Military Observer (UNMO), when we saw something simultaneously danger and unique – “The Chetnik Car”. That was something not all UNPROFOR staff had the chanceContinuar lendo “Ilidza’s Chetnik Car (Bosnia 1995)”

The path to Dayton’s Agreements (Bosnia 1995)

In the beginning of October 1995, it was common knowledge that the US Administration’s Representative for the Balkans – Richard Holbrooke – was negotiating a definitive Cease Fire Agreement, which could lead to a permanent Peace Agreement. People remained sceptical, because it would probably be just another cease fire agreement, like many others before; someContinuar lendo “The path to Dayton’s Agreements (Bosnia 1995)”