LINNAMURROT and the Holy City of Jerusalem Saku Linnamurto/Peacekeepers  Magazine 2016 IN JANUARY 2002, I received an unexpected call at my workplace from the UN Training Centre in Niinisalo. A friendly female voice asked if I would be available to serve as a military observer in the Middle East during the last rotation of the […]

LEBANON – UNIFIL Area of activity: southern Lebanon Headquarters: Nagoura Duration: March 1978 Finns involved: 1982-2001 Finns served: 11482 Following the Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon on 15 March 1978, the UN Security Council decided to establish a peacekeeping force, UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon). Its mission was to supervise the withdrawal of

CYPRUS – UNICYP Area of activity: island of Cyprus Headquarters: Nicosia Started: 1964 Operation strength: 1200 soldiers, 50 police and 150 civilian staff Finns served: 10034 UNFICYP was established by the UN Security Council in 1964 to prevent violence between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot populations. The invasion of Cyprus by the Turkish army

Cyprus, August 1974 Seppo Ylönen/Rauhanturvaajien juhlalehti 2016 AT THE END OF JULY, a quick Suez-focused training session in Niinisalo was arranged. There was a need for replenishment. After a quick training session the real destination was revealed: Cyprus. The escalating relations between Turkey and Greece were at an impasse in negotiations. UNSP 21/3JK, ”Kunniakas Kolmonen”

Cyprus 1974 Pertti Eerikäinen, YKSP 20-21 Head quarters company, communication platoon Idman’s permanent job changed in January 1974 to a 9-month assignment when the 21-year-old young man’s path led him to Cyprus for a peacekeeping mission. The job was to work for the headquarters company as a communications officer in the communications team. My  duties

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN NAMIBIA Ilpo Mikkola I have worked both as a soldier in the Finnish UN Battalion and as a civilian in the UN Field Service for more than 35 years. There have been individual and interesting cultural encounters everywhere. One can in no way say that one has been on the giving side.

CROATIA – UNPROFOR Duration: February 1992 – March 1995 Area of activity: Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) and Macedonia (FYROM). Headquarters: Zagreb, Croatia Finns involved: 1992-1993 Finns served: 542 soldiers Following the civil war that broke out in the former Yugoslavia in 1991, the UN established the peacekeeping operation UNPROFOR in 1992. Its task

AS A TRAINING OFFICER IN MALI Staff sergeant  Ismo Flink 2013 Since February 2013, Finns have participated in the EUTM Mali operation in Africa. For 10 weeks, one battalion of the Malian army is trained at a time at the training base. The duration of the contract is six months so the Finns will have

IN KOSOVO 2000-2001 Jarmo Pennanen I served in Kosovo in the Machine Corps 2000-2001 at Camp Ville in the village of Ljipjan as a Pioneer Machine Operator and  Crane Operator. Kosovo ended my peacekeeping  journey for that time as I had previously served in the UN in 1995-1996 in Skopje, Macedonia and the following year

KOSOVO – KFOR Area of operation: Province of Kosovo in Yugoslavia Headquarters: Pristina Started: June 1999 Mission strength: 18 000 personnel Participating countries: 35 Finns served: 5375 The mission of the NATO-led operation KFOR, operating under a UN mandate is to prevent hostilities and ensure peace in the multi-ethnic Kosovo through its military presence. KFOR