Operação Althea da União Europeia (EUFOR)

No dia 2 de Dezembro de 2004, após negociações em Berlim, a Aliança Atlântica reduziu a sua presença na Bósnia para um contingente mínimo de um Quartel-General dedicado a tarefas de modernização das Forças Armadas da Bósnia Herzegovina, e a União Europeia passou a tomarconta das operações militares através da EUFOR. A operação EUFOR, cujo efectivo multinacional tinha cerca de 7.500 militares, denominou-se ALTHEA, numa alusão à Deusa mitológica que curava as feridas de guerra dos guerreiros Gregos. A missão da EUFOR consistia em passar gradualmente todas as responsabilidades de um Estado soberano da Comunidade Internacional de novo para o Governo da Bósnia Herzegovina, e dar o apoio necessário à Comunidade Internacional que se encontra a operar no Teatro de Operações. Com o tempo, a EUFOR reduziu gradualmente o seu efectivo, mantendo até finais da década de 2010 uma presença de militares e GNRs Portugueses no terreno.

O grosso das forças da Althea estava estacionado no famoso “Camp Butmir”, em Sarajevo, o qual ao longo dos tempos teve uma utilização militar bastante intensa, com particular incidência na Guerra da Bósnia por parte das forças Sérvias.

Camp Butmir – Sarajevo

Durante o primeiro semestre de 2008, cumprindo criteriosamente o calendário estabelecido por Bruxelas, a EUFOR transferiu para as Forças Armadas da Bósnia Herzegovina (BiH) grande parte das funções das funções militares que lhe tinham sido confiadas pela Comunidade Internacional, das quais se realçam a Transferência do Controlo de Movimento de Armas e Material Militar dentro da Bósnia e Herzegovina, a Transferência de Autoridade da Guarda e Supervisão dos Paióis Militares na Bósnia e Herzegovina, a Transferência de Autoridade das Inspecções de Armas e Explosivos na Bósnia e Herzegovina e a Transferência de Autoridade da Gestão do Espectro Electromagnético nas Bandas Militares. Desta forma, a EUFOR aproximou-se do seu próprio “END STATMENT”, restando-lhe pouco mais do que a sua vertente “European Gendarmerie – International Police Unit (IPU)”, onde operava um plotão de militares da GNR.

Desta forma, o conflito da ex-Jugoslávia, e a sua posterior resolução, contou com a presença de militares Portugueses, durante cerca de 20 anos, tendo servido sob as bandeiras das Nações Unidas, da (antiga CEE) Comunidade Europeia, da Aliança Atlântica e, posteriormente, União da União Europeia.

Abstract art in flight plans

Back in 1992, during my UN mission in Angola to support the Country first free elections, I had to manage a small fleet of aircraft operating from Luena’s airfield in the Province of Moxico.

It was a busy and challenging activity, with lots of constrains and a myriad of solution to overtake the difficulties.

One of the restrictions I faced was the language barrier. Most of the UN rented air assets’ crews were Russian, and they did not speak a word of Portuguese, French or English. However, every morning, after I returned from the coordination meetings at the provincial electoral committee, I had to assign each air crew with their flight orders, telling them where to fly and what to carry in each leg of the flight.

We ended-up establishing a “cartoon” based flight plan format, which was easily understood by everybody. I would draw in a small strip of paper a scheme of arrows, names, numbers, cubes and puppets, such as:

– “ UN#05 21/09/92 – 10 X puppet draw + 5 X cube draw = 150 kg– Luena 08H10 ↑ (arrow up) Ngugi –» (arrow back) Luena↓ (arrow down) // signature (to validate)”

This would translate into:

-“The Helicopter UN 05, on the 21st of September 1992, will carry 10 passengers and a cargo of 5 packages of electoral material which is estimated to weight approximately 150 kilograms; from Luena airfield to Ngugi village. Estimate take-off time from Luena at 08:10. After the deliver return to Luena airfield for a full stop landing”

These were the simple airtasks, for more elaborate patterns my drawings seemed like an abstractionist painting of Volpi.

It looks ridiculous … but it worked … at least in 95% of the flights.

A major difficulty was that, in 1992, the GPS was a new technology and not all Russian helicopter crews were familiar with it. The other limitation was that the available aeronautical charts of Angola were Russian made. Its quality was outstanding … but all the locations were written in Cyrillic, with a Russian interpretation of the how the local names sounded like. That complied us making a table of conversion of all the major Provincial locations from the local nomination into the Russian (Cyrillic) version and had the coordinates to it.  For example, Ngugi, in their charts, was written Hгущи.

With the table and my drawing … of they went and the end result was a major success.

Sarajevo’s old church

There is an Orthodox Christian Temple in town, they said it was the oldest Orthodox Temple in that region of the Balkans, and it was just one kilometer away from the UN Military Observers (UNMO) rented house, close to the historical part of Sarajevo.  It was a small temple, but it had the most interesting story to tell.

In the beginning of the Ottoman occupation of Bosnia, before 1500 AD, the ruling Sultan decided to demonstrate his benevolence to the locals and authorized the construction of small Christian worship site. However, he had two conditions regarding that shrine’s construction.  According to the legend, the Sultan called the leader of the Christian community and said:

– “I will allow you to construct a Christian temple, but it cannot be taller than the lowest mosque of Sarajevo, and it has to fit inside a cow’s skin.”

The Sultan was obviously thinking of a small wooden made shrine. Something limited to a cross and an altar, under a roof porch, where the believers would have to pray out on the open, facing the altar. He was benevolent, no doubts, be still, it was an extremely modest offer.

However, the locals did not give-up the idea of constructing a proper church; as small as it had to be. They killed and skinned the largest cow they found, and they’ve cut the skin into an unbroken spiral thin string.  Then, they laid the string on the ground, forming a rectangular shape, and they marked its corners in the soil. That way, they defined an area for the Temple that would “fit inside a cow’s skin”.

The second condition – “it cannot be taller than the lowest mosque” – was also a challenge. Because the church was going to be small, they needed to have an upper gallery to fit more people during the Eucharistic service. The solution was to go down and start construction from below ground level. They dug the inside of the skin in such a way that the ground floor of the church was actually on the basement level. That way, the upper gallery was just above ground level and a third level (the tower) was still below the lowest minaret in Sarajevo.

The entire building was made of stone, which was another thing the Sultan was not expecting. The Sultan was speechless when he saw the final work. He realized that the locals did not disrespect his instructions; they had just maneuvered around his words in a very clever way; therefore, he authorized the temple to remain, and that was, indeed, a benevolent decision.

Coincidentally, the temple, located just behind the Sarajevo National library, was not damaged by the 1992-1995 war, because it was shadowed by the Library’s building, and all its religious art assets and Orthodox Icons are still intact.

Nowadays, when the visitor enters that spectacular Temple, he/she sees that the ground floor is not at the expected level, and he/she a sees is a set of stairs going down to an open basement, where the altar his. At the doors’ level, to the left and to the right, a small set of stairs leads the visitor to the gallery around the walls of the church, for people to assist the mass from up above.

With the passing of time, the original infrastructure has also suffered some modifications, and further constructions around the original church were made, in order for it to become an Orthodox monastery.  However, the original temple has been preserved and its History can be witnessed at the site.

Deep inside Afghanistan

When one travels well inside Afghanistan’s landscape, on the Central Highlands of the Indukush, one may still encounter remains of the old Silk road. Fortresses constructed to host and protect the passing-by caravans.

That is the beauty of the UN mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA); respecting the conflict restrictions but, simultaneously, profiting from every opportunity to engage with the locals and do proper Civil Military Coordination (CIMIC).

Guerra e Paz conforme as eleições Norte Americanas

Surgiram esta semana vários comunicados informando que os Estados Unidos teriam encetado conversações com a liderança Taliban para o fim do conflito no Afeganistão. Não deverá ser novidade para ninguém, uma vez que estamos (2020) em ano de eleição Presidencial nos Estados Unidos. Efectivamente, a resolução de problemas além-fronteiras tem sido (e ainda bem que assim é) temática de campanha eleitoral Americana desde… sempre.

Como é sabido (ou talvez não) os americanos têm um sistema complexo de eleições, onde o Presidente pode “medir o pulso” da sua reeleição através dos resultados das eleições intercalares (Senado e Congresso) que ocorrem a meio do seu mandato (daí chamarem-se “Mid-Term Elections”).

As iniciativas de Guerra e Paz americanas, decididas “lá dentro” para acontecerem “lá longe” à maneira “pentagonista”, geralmente coincidem com as datas eleitorais USA. É uma espécie de Diplomacia Internacional para consumo eleitoral interno.

No caso específico Afegão, que já assistiu a muitas retracções de forças estrangeiras, resta saber que tipo de presença o “tio Sam” irá manter no País, porque a retirada pura e simples é algo que já foi feito várias vezes; e continua a haver forças internacionais no terreno.

Yet another (political) exit plan … like many other the Afghans have seen before.

Senão vejamos (só as mais importantes nas últimas 3 décadas):

2020 – Ano de eleições Presidenciais – Nova ronda de negociações USA/Taliban/Afeganistão, para acordos de paz e potencial retirada de forças USA do Afeganistão.

2018 – Ano de eleições intercalares (Congresso e Senado) – Diplomatas USA têm encontros com a liderança Taliban para preparar o fim do conflito no Afeganistão.

2016 – Ano de eleições Presidenciais – Proposta USA/Rússia para a paz na Síria.

2014 – Ano de eleições intercalares (Congresso e Senado) – Extinção da ISAF (Afeganistão) com retirada massiva de tropas. Guerra contra o Estado Islâmico no Iraque e Síria. Guerra Civil da Líbia.

2012 – Ano de eleições Presidenciais – Aumento exponencial de forças USA no Afeganistão para acabar com o conflito.

2010 – Ano de eleições intercalares (Congresso e Senado) – Nova ronda de negociações de paz Israelo-palestinianas patrocinadas pelos Estados Unidos. Negociações sigilosas USA/Taliban para o fim do conflito Afegão.

2008 – Ano de eleições Presidenciais – Negociações de paz Israelo-palestinianas patrocinadas pelos Estados Unidos.

2006 – Ano de eleições intercalares (Congresso e Senado) – Os Estados Unidos envolvem-se mais na guerra interna Iraquiana; assim como no apoio a Israel na guerra Israelo-palestiniana e na Guerra Civil Somali.

2004 – Ano de eleições Presidenciais – A Reunião magna da NATO anuncia o fim da SFOR (Bósnia) com a retirada de forças USA.

2002 – Ano de eleições intercalares (Congresso e Senado) – Senado Norte Americano aprova a resolução para o uso da força militar contra Saddam Hussain (Iraque). Início da Força Internacional liderada pelos Estados Unidos (ISAF) no Afeganistão.

2000 – Ano de eleições Presidenciais – Tentativa (falhada) de Acordos de Camp David Israel-Palestina, promovido pelos USA.

1998 – Ano de eleições intercalares (Congresso e Senado) – Acordos de paz US/Israel/Palestina para Faixa de Gaza.

1996 – Ano de eleições Presidenciais – Entrada em vigor dos Acordos de Dayton, promovidos pelos USA, para o fim da Guerra na Bósnia e começo das operações NATO (IFOR) na Bósnia-Herzegovina.

1994 – Ano de eleições intercalares (Congresso e Senado) – Acordos de paz Israel-Jordânia promovidos pelos USA.

1992 – Ano de eleições Presidenciais – Estados Unidos fortemente envolvidos na resolução dos conflitos da ex-Jugoslávia.

Pode parecer uma postura cínica … se calhar até é … mas ainda bem que assim é! Porque, se não for assim não há resolução de conflitos. Quer queiramos que não, actualmente, os Estados Unidos são a potencia hegemónica com capacidade de travar as guerras que os outros começaram.

“Tolerate” means “Suffer in Silence”

Being a peacekeeper, especially if one is an UNMO (UN Military Observer) the mantra is: – “Tolerance”; even if most of the time things have bitter taste.

Back in 1992-1995, in UNPROFOR (Bosnia), the peacekeepers had tolerated just about everything and everybody on the literal sense. The verb “Tolerate”, in its original Latin form – “Tolerari” – means “to suffer in silence”. That was just what the Military Observers in particular had done for three and half years. They were true Peacekeepers, unarmed, in the middle of the battlefield, suffering in silence their own casualties and trying to get some sense into the Former Warring Factions, to stop the killing.

The men and women of UNPROFOR military contingents had been tailored to do peacekeeping, assuming there was Peace to monitor in Bosnia; but there wasn’t. They stood their ground and endured the most dangerous war in Europe after the Second World War, with a poor mandate and restrictive Rules of Engagement. By the end of 1995, when Peace had been finally signed in Paris (Dayton agreements), the politicians were sending NATO, with its big guns and attack helicopters … to monitor the Implementation of the Peace Agreements.

It seemed things were twisted!

Furthermore, the new “Peace Guardians”, the ones who could actually pull the trigger, looked at the blue helmets with a despising countenance, as if they were incompetents because they were not able to stop that war. An unfair judgement because UNPROFOR soldiers had their hands tied … and if they hadn’t been there, the end state of that war would have been much worst; and the peacekeepers paid a high price for that.

Since the beginning of the Yugoslav Crisis, in 1991, UNPROFOR had suffer 213 KIA fatalities, of which 198 were military from international contingents; six were UNMO officers; three were police agents from CIVPOL; three were civilians from the International Staff; and another three were local contracted civilians.

Only on that year of 1995, 329 UN vehicles were stolen/hijacked and 54 blue helmets had died in Bosnia or Krajina’s conflict. That was half of the deaths of blue helmets in all the UN missions put together in 1995.

Ask first; piss after

Back in 1992, during my first UN mission for UNDP, in Angola, I was tasked to manage the UN aircraft fleet deployed at the largest province of the country – Moxico – whose capital was the City of Luena (former Luso, during the Portuguese times).

We flow to Luena in a small twin engine King Air servicing the UN. Upon arrival, the pilot said I should wait at aircraft apron for someone to recover me and take me to the UN house in town. After having said that, he closed the door and taxied out of the ramp for a rolling take-off out of that place. The wide ramp was absolutely deserted; no aircraft and no people, for the exception of a kid holding a can in his hand trying to collect some wasted aircraft fuel.

Since it had been a very long flight I was desperate to urinate and, following the airmen standard procedure, I left my luggage in the middle of the tarmac, moved out of the paved area into the grassy grounds, unzipped the lower end of the flight suit and satisfied “nature’s call” turning my back to the aircraft apron.

That was when the child approached the limits of the tarmac and yelled very agitated:

– “Mister … mister … You have to return very carefully, and always step on the grass tufts.”

I was no more than 20 meters away from the kid; I finished the “job” zipped back the suit and turned to the child asking with a smile:

– “I’m sorry … why should I return very carefully … and always stepping on the grass tufts?”

– “Tché?! – Said the child incredulous with my ignorance – “Because that type of grass doesn’t grow on top of land mines … dâa!”

At that moment my (idiot) smile felt down to the ground, and I had the sensation that those short 20 meters had just tripled. All of a sudden I had the need to urinate again. I was inside the layer of terrain that had been mined, in order to protect the airfield. I simple forgot that the place was in a dormant civil war, and all my normal movements/actions should be reconsidered according to that different reality.

The challenge now was to overtake those 20 meters. The grass tufts seemed to have grown apart leaving lots of potentially mined reddish soil in between them. There was cold sweat running down my back and a lump in the throat. I inhaled deeply and studied the soil between me and the tarmac and recognize the footsteps printouts of my flight boots. Using grass and footsteps I managed to return safety to the tarmac. My heart rate was extremely high and I was breathing very heavily.

While I was thanking the child for warning me of the danger, the UN people meant to recover me showed up. When I explained what had just happened to me, I got the simple statement:

– “Yeap … we have to put some warning around this place … eventually. Welcome to Luena”; you’re going to love it here!”

Lesson number one – “Upon arrival to a war zone, ask first piss after”.

Peacekeeping for kids

Peace; is a treasure hidden deep inside everyone of us. Each one of us can dig it up and solve conflicts at their start. In most conflict cases, there’s a need for a discussion forum; a place where people meet and exchange points of view in order to solve their problems. That place is (should be) the United Nations Organization.

Conflict resolution in the UN takes time … not because of inexperience of the interlocutors, but because every step it’s taken must be carefully measured in order to remain in force for the foreseen future.

Something that kids easily understand … but it seams that the adults fail to see.

“The UN was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell.”

Dag Hammarskjöld – United Nations Secretary-General – 1954

 A major concern of the peacekeeper that is about to be deployed, is to explain to his/her kids that will stay back home, waiting for his/her return, the reason why he/she is deploying to a faraway country. Our kids deserve to know that peace and safety is not something all the children of the World enjoy. Our children will be ever so proud of their hero peacekeepers, that are far, far away, in a distant country, helping other children to be able to play without being hurt by bad people.

Aguardente expresso

Durante as missões da ONU acontecem inúmeras situações anedóticas dignas de registo.

Recordo uma certa manhã, na missão da ONU em Angola (1992) para apoiar com meios aéreos as Primeiras Eleições Livres, após as aeronaves terem partido como um bando de pássaros do aeródromo de Luena, ter-me sentado para descansar e ligar o leitor de cassetes para ouvir uma música suave. Nessa altura verifiquei que as pilhas estavam gastas. Abri o aparelho e iniciei o procedimento de troca das pilhas. Um miúdo que andava por ali na placa, a tentar catar os desperdícios de combustível de avião Jet A-1, aproximou-se e observou cuidadosamente todos os meus movimentos. Quando eu me preparava para guardar as pilhas velhas, a criança dirigiu-me a palavra:

– “Sôr, dá-me essas pilhas.” – Pediu ele.

– “Companheiro, estas pilhas estão gastas, já não funcionam, perderam a electricidade; entendes?” – Respondi-lhe.

– “Não faz mal, Sôr. Dá-me as pilhas, por favor”. – Insistiu o miúdo.

– “Ho rapaz, eu dou-te as pilhas mas elas não te vão servir de nada. Não consegues tirar nada daí de dentro” – retorqui enquanto lhe dava as três pilhas AA do leitor de cassetes..

– “Consigo, consigo“ – disse ele – “abro-as com uma catana e meto-as dentro de um panelo com fruta e farelo de milho a fermentar, para fazer a Caxipembe [aguardente de milho]. O ácido das pilhas apressa as coisas e amanhã o Caxipembe já está pronto para eu vender no bazar!”

– “Ora toma!” – Pensei eu em voz alta – “Acabaste de receber uma aula de química aplicada, de um puto com 12 anos! Então é assim que vocês fazem Caxipembe Expresso?”

Mas a criança já tinha descolado em direção aos portões do aeródromo, com as três pilhas na mão direita e uma lata com Jet A-1 na outra. Fiquei apreensivo com a qualidade da poderosa aguardente que tinha estado a beber, com os meus amigos Russos, numa das serenatas dessa semana.

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