On March 19, the celebration of the 43rd anniversary of the foundation of the UNIFIL Mission in Lebanon in 1978 took place in Naqoura.
At the ceremony, presided over byHead of Mission e Force Commander general division Stefano Del Col, in line with the current provisions relating to the prevention and containment of the pandemic coronavirus (COVID-19), there was a limited number of participants.
These include some representatives of the Lebanese armed and security forces (LAF), the head of the union of the municipalities of Tire, the mayor of Naqoura and some representatives of the 45 different contributing countries of UNIFIL.
During the ceremony, the head of mission and the representative of the LAF placed two wreaths at the cenotaph to pay homage to the 321 UNIFIL peacekeepers who have lost their lives in southern Lebanon since 1978.
"Lebanon has faced many challenges in the last 43 years, but the current socio-economic and pandemic situation is unprecedented" the commander underlined.
“UNIFIL remains committed as always to peace and stability in southern Lebanon. We will do this by working alongside and in close coordination with our strategic partner, the Lebanese Armed Forces. We will be here for as long as necessary. "
General Del Col acknowledged that, although these difficult challenges due to the pandemic remain, UNIFIL has nevertheless managed to carry out its mandate focused on maintaining the cessation of hostilities between the parties.
About the Blue Line, the dividing line between Lebanon and the State of Israel, a useful tool for eliminating conflicts that helps to reduce ambiguity and potential reasons for friction, the general stressed its importance by asking "Both parties to re-engage in the process of complete definition of the Blue Line on the basis of that past success and the recent framework agreement regarding the demarcation of borders". "Time to finish this job" he concluded, inviting a conscious sharing.
In conclusion, the general also recalled the tragic events of last August when over 150 blue helmets intervened to help the local population hit by a dramatic devastation in the port of Beirut, removing thousands of tons of debris in the city, collaborating in making it operational again. the port of Beirut, assisting in the restoration of heritage sites that were also damaged and helping to re-insure the normal circulation of the main road joints.
On the sidelines of the ceremony, the United Nations medal was awarded to some peacekeepers who met the required requirements.
UNIFIL was created by United Nations Security Council Resolutions 425 and 426 of March 19, 1978, to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, restore international peace and security, and assist the Lebanese government in restoring its effective authority in the area. .
Following the 2006 conflict, the Security Council, with resolution 1701, significantly strengthened UNIFIL's mandate and capacity by assigning it additional tasks and assigning it greater contact with the Lebanese armed forces in southern Lebanon.
Today UNIFIL includes over 10.000 soldiers, men and women, from 45 countries and is supported by about 900 national and international civilian employees.
