13.10.2015.
Military skills of blue berets
Brigadier General Jose Conde de Arjona, Commander of Sector "East" of the multinational UNIFIL operation in Lebanon
It is a pleasure to be part of this mission because the situation on the ground from day to day improves and peace is slowly established in this area. People gain mutual trust, look to the future, which seven years ago, when I was here in command of the Spanish battalion, was not the case. Then they were just found ways to immigrate to another country. They saw their prospects in exile, and today in education, employment, traveling the country and other parts of the world, but always with the idea of returning to Lebanon. When we, the soldiers, deployed in different parts of the world, make sure that our efforts have borne fruit, and when you are accepted by locals, you feel like you are doing the right thing, and that the future will be much better.Judging by the importance, it is not wrong to say that the heart of the Sector "East" of the multinational UNIFIL operation is the Spanish contingent base "Miguel de Cervantes", which was named after the famous Spanish writer and warrior, whose military skills and war campaigns remained in the shadow of those much better known, in which the hero of his most famous work rushed - Don Quixote.
Recognizable portrait of the aged warrior in knight’s armour and his faithful squire Sancho Panza has a special place in the office of Brigadier General Jose Conde de Arjona, Commander of Sector "East" of the multinational operation UNIFIL in Lebanon.
Speaking about the contingent which he commands, General Conde stressed the fact that it has 612 members, of which the largest number is located in the sector "East" and about 20 peacekeepers are based in the UNIFIL Command in Nakuru.
- When talking about the Spanish contingent in UNIFIL's mission, it is important to mention members of other nations within it, our colleagues - Serbian, Brazilian and El Salvador contingent. In the near future we expect to be joined by peacekeepers from Mexico. In total, with the enlargement, the Spanish contingent will count almost 860 members.
With that in mind, how do you evaluate the current cooperation with Serbian peacekeepers?
- As someone who commands the Serbian contingent, I have to say that I am very proud. Primarily because it is easy to work with members of the Serbian Armed Forces, but also because we have a lot in common. Not only do we originate from the same continent, but we have similar mentality, culture, and procedures, which is particularly evident in complex situations. This, I admit, is not the case with some other nations, with whom we are also cooperating but, due to cultural differences and different procedures in carrying out military duties, working together has been made harder. In our commands you can meet many people from Nepal, who have just arrived in UNIFIL, but with whom we have to standardize procedures. Here, in the mission, we must look at things through the same eyes. And it is very easy when it comes to the Serbian contingent.
What are the challenges you face every day?
- There are many and they are very different. One of the biggest challenges beyond our base is the consistent application of rules and procedures, and compliance with Rules of deployment in the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission, especially in the case of unforeseen events in the execution of tasks outside the barracks. There are many factors that play different roles in the same area. In Lebanon, there are people that belong to different religions, political parties, and on the south are the Israel Defence Forces, who take care of the situation along the "Blue Line." We must also bear in mind that peace has not been achieved and there is still a theory that the war is not over, that a peace treaty has never been signed. There is also a problem in Syria, which, fortunately, remains within the borders of the country, because it was closed by the Lebanese Armed Forces LAF.
In addition, within the structure of the UNIFIL, we are faced with challenges that I mentioned, which relate to different mentalities of peacekeepers because the multinational operation brings together 39 nations. With the military, you should bear in mind the civilian structure of the mission, so the coordination of all procedures is a true challenge.
Last but not least is the time of the mission. It is essential that every day, for six months, we maintain standards and workplace concentration, while others must do it the whole year. It is a long time and it requires maximum commitment of all officers and soldiers. People need to demonstrate leadership skills, and continually present themselves in the best light to the civilian population.
In your opinion, why is it important for members of armed forces to participate in multinational operations such as UNIFIL?
- It is a pleasure to be a part of this mission. Why do I say that? Because the situation on the ground is improving each day and peace is slowly being established in this area. People gain mutual trust, look to the future, which seven years ago, when I was here in command of the Spanish battalion, was not the case. Then they were just found ways to immigrate to another country. They saw their prospects in exile, and today in education, employment, traveling the country and other parts of the world, but always with the idea of returning to Lebanon. When we, the soldiers, deployed in different parts of the world, make sure that our efforts have borne fruit, and when you are accepted by locals, you feel like you are doing the right thing, and that the future will be much better. And peace in the Middle East is important for the whole world.
Biljana MILJIC
FRAMEWORK 1. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE HIGHEST STANDARDS
As pointed out by Chief of Staff of the Sector "East" of the UNIFIL mission Colonel Pablo Paniacva Sanchez, co-operation with members of the Serbian contingent has been excellent since the first day and carried out without difficulty.
- We are very similar, we have the same approach to operations, and even a sense of humour. With that in mind, we easily fit in working together in the mission - Colonel Paniacva explains.
Speaking about the military skills of members of the Serbian contingent, Chief of Staff has only words of praise.
- So far we have not had cases of misconduct or violations of military discipline. We are extremely satisfied with the level of training of peacekeepers from Serbia, because it is consistent with the highest standards in terms of military skills - Colonel Paniacva concludes.
