As per France24: “Stationed in Lebanon for more than 40 years, the UN’s blue helmets work to preserve a fragile peace along the border with Israel. Since the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, the border area has enjoyed a period of relative calm, one which UNIFIL [United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon] hopes to maintain. But just a few weeks away from the renewal of its mandate, the UN force is facing criticism on multiple fronts”.
What the above means is the following: Regular citizens across the border, especially in Lebanon, appreciate the UNIFL presence. They are grateful. They are fed up of armed conflicts and wars.
Countries that decide the fate of people either want to see it disappear or be much limited.
Other influential countries (USA, Israel) perhaps prefer to see it play a more aggressive role in protecting the “blue line”, which is the name of the border between Lebanon and Israel (the latter may be perhaps not part of the UNIFL mission or essence).
A powerful militia in Lebanon (does it need to be named?) wants it to remain limited in its surveillance capacity in order to keep being unaccountable, serving the interests of an influential regional power (Iran) or strictly/selfishly interested in its own survival, to the point of hiding behind Lebanon’s official institutions whilst ignoring their country’s best interests.
Here are some recent data on the UNIFL mission in Lebanon. Historically, as mentioned in the documentary above, Norway has been a large contributor of Blue Helmets, as well as all the countries mentioned in the two reference below: For instance, Italy, Ireland, France, Nepal, Brazil, Ghana, India, China, etc.
https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/unifil.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Interim_Force_in_Lebanon#Contributing_countries
Regardless of the politics and of the outcome in August, 2020, Bambi would like to say thank you to UNIFL for contributing to stability and peace in Lebanon.
Thanks to all the daily sacrifices of the Blue Helmets, living away from their own families and countries of origins. This may be harder in the middle of a pandemic where they may be worried about the health/safety of their own loved ones.
As per the France24 title of its documentary, peace is indeed “fragile” ☹.
It is our responsibility all of us, individually and collectively, to give peace a chance (of survival). This is even more critical in a world, that is becoming increasingly hostile… and insane.
