In January 1995, the UN mission for the Yugoslav conflict(s) – UNPROFOR – had 38.599 military personnel from 37 Troop Contributing Nations(TCN): Argentina, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Ghana, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Nepal, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, the Russian Federation, SlovakContinuar lendo “The UN Lexicon”
Arquivos da tag:UN
Guesstimating Cargo´s weight – Angola 1992
Back in the UN mission in Angola 1992, every late afternoon Luena’s Regional Electoral Commission would express their needs for support flight for the following day. Those meetings were not exactly peaceful get-togethers, because it was not easy to accommodate the ambitious list of flight destinations requests with the shortage of UN aircraft in theContinuar lendo “Guesstimating Cargo´s weight – Angola 1992”
Sarajevo Landing
During UNPROFOR Times, the final approach procedure to Sarajevo’s airport was considered the aeronautic ex libris of the mission. So much so that it got the designation of: – “Sarajevo Landing”. Due to the permanent threat of small arms fire onto the landing aircraft, when the pilots got closer to the ground, they performed aContinuar lendo “Sarajevo Landing”
What is an United Nations Military Adviser?
In UN missions it is natural to see unarmed military officers, out of the context of the national contingents, working at the UN (civilian) leadership level. They are the UN Military Advisers (MilAd). But what does a MilAd do? A UN Military Adviser (MilAd) has the status of “Expert on Mission”. He/She is normally aContinuar lendo “What is an United Nations Military Adviser?”
Angolan demobilized combatants – 1992
According to the Bicesse Agreements, sign in May 1991, the two major opposing parts in the Angolan conflict (MPLA and UNITA) should demobilize their combatants and plan for elections on the following year. Both political parties initiated the demobilization of their contingents but, allegedly, the modality of disarmament was somehow … tolerant … regarding theContinuar lendo “Angolan demobilized combatants – 1992”
“Operation Flash” Croatian Independence War
01MAY1995 06:00 – Driving on the highway from Zagreb to Belgrade, suddenly we were right on the middle of a Croatian attack to Sector West of the Krajina. “Operation Flash” had just started and we were on the wrong place, at the wrong time! The Krajina were Serb populated territories inside Croatia. There were SeveralContinuar lendo ““Operation Flash” Croatian Independence War”
Taliban “Price List”
Back in 2012, right after arriving to Kabul, I was made aware that I should be permanently cautious, wherever I was, because my head was worth 20.000 US Dollars (USD). That was how much the Taliban shadow Government would pay anyone that would kill a foreigner officer. That specify price made me wonder if thereContinuar lendo “Taliban “Price List””
Helicopter down-wash versus straw made huts
Back in 1992, in my UNDP mission in Angola, I was responsible to coordinate the UN air activity in support of the needs for air transportation of the Angolan Electoral Commission in the Province of Moxico. Every late afternoon the Electoral Commission would present the list of cargo and persons to be airlifted to specificContinuar lendo “Helicopter down-wash versus straw made huts”
Bosnia’s No Fly Zone
In 1992, due to the deteriorating security situation in the Balkans and the warlike acts perpetrated over the civilian population, the United Nations Security Council imposed an area of exclusion for non-authorized flights – commonly known as “No Fly Zone” (NFZ) – over Bosnia-Herzegovina and parts of Croatia (the Serbian Krajinas). The overall intention wasContinuar lendo “Bosnia’s No Fly Zone”
Pig Bombs – Bosnia 1995
On the 26th of August 1995, I was driving to UNPROFOR HQ, when the Serbs attacked Sarajevo with a weapon I had never heard or seen before – “pig bombs”. Pig bombs were improvised airstrikes, made with aircraft bombs and rockets, but launched from a truck up on the hills. The precision of those bombsContinuar lendo “Pig Bombs – Bosnia 1995”
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