MINUSMA operation in autumn 2016  Captain Timo Kantalainen  In October 2016 a total of eight Finnish peacekeepers served in two crisis management operations in Mali. In the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), four officers and one non-commissioned officer worked in Camp Bifrost and one officer in Supercamp. The bases were located […]

Bloody day in Mali – 1 peacekeeper killed, 8 wounded  News published 04.10.2016  A UN peacekeeper has been killed in Mali. Eight peacekeepers were also injured in the attack. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the four attacks on UN forces, calling the attacks on peacekeepers war crimes. In June, the UN Security Council decided

MACEDONIA – UNPROFOR, UNPREDEP Area of activity: Macedonia (FYROM, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) Headquarters: Skopje Duration: March 1993 – February 1999 (Own operation 1995) Finns involved: 1993-1999 Finns served: 2364 In January 1993, the decision was taken to deploy a joint Nordic battalion, NORDBATT, consisting of Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian and Danish troops to Macedonia.

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