UNIFIL stands for the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon.
Today happens to be Peacekeepers’ Day (https://shorturl.at/wHP3u).
Thus, Bambi thanks all the “soldiers of peace” who are serving around the world. A heartfelt thank you to UNFIL, which operates in South Lebanon.
Of note, UNIFIL originates from about 50 countries. It is composed of 330 men and women who work to de-escalate tensions to prevent fighting and wars (https://rb.gy/vim4x2).
Do UNIFL peacekeepers always succeed in their de-escalation efforts on the ground? Of course not. Even if at times they do, sometimes tensions are too powerful or there is literally an ongoing war, including the latest one since October 8, 2023. How could UNFIL’s mission succeed when spokes can be added to their wheels at any time? Indeed, as reported in an older post (shown below), UNIFIL peacekeepers were attacked in a cowardly way on December 15, 2022. This resulted in the death of Mr. Seán Rooney. May his memory be eternal.
Yet, despite the challenges on the ground, UNIFIL peacekeepers try to remain focused on helping implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Specifically, the latter “calls for the full cessation of hostilities, the deployment of Lebanese forces to Southern Lebanon, parallel withdrawal of Israeli forces behind the Blue Line, strengthening the UN force (UNIFIL) to facilitate the entry of Lebanese Forces in the region and the establishment of a demilitarised zone between the Blue Line and the Litani River. It also calls for UN Secretary-General to develop proposals to implement the relevant provisions of the Taif Accords as well as Security Council Resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1680 (2006) and imposes an arms embargo on Lebanon” (https://rb.gy/vim4x2).
Last but not least, in addition to its mission, UNIFIL regularly provides a much appreciated humanitarian assistance to Lebanese civilians who are struggling with harsh living conditions since October 2019.
For all the reasons mentioned above, many thanks to UNIFIL and, by extension, to all the peacekeepers who have contributed to peace around the world, not just in South Lebanon. This includes 125,000 fellow Canadians (https://tinyurl.com/dx8ecx26). May peace, and ideally love, prevail everywhere!
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