Stories from the United Nations Archives: The first United Nations peacekeeping force
The crisis began when Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal Company in July 1956, with France and Britain protesting. By October of that year, Israeli forces launched an attack on Egypt and occupied Sinai, with British and French troops landing soon after in the Suez Canal Zone.
The UN cannot resolve this issue within Security Councilmet for discussion on October 31 and made no decision after France and Britain used their veto, a prerogative of the body’s permanent members.
Those vetoes triggered the clauses in the “Unite for peace” Resolution, approved by the General Assembly in 1950, which stated that if the Council, “for lack of unanimity of the permanent members, fails in any circumstances to carry out its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security Where there appears to be a threat to the peace, a breach of the peace or an act of aggression, the General Assembly shall consider the matter immediately with a view to making appropriate recommendations to Members regarding collective measures. ”.
Two firsts in UN history
The terms of the United for Peace resolution also state that emergency special session could be convened within 24 hours, which is what the General Assembly did the day after the Council vetoed it.
A UNEF Norwegian military unit prepares to depart from Fornebu airport, near Oslo, Norway, on November 13, 1956. (photo)
From November 1 to 10 Firstly when emergency special sessionThe council called for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of all foreign forces, and then-UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld provided the latest updates.
The UN chief told the world body: “We are now less than two hours away from a ceasefire being agreed without a commitment from the three Governments, which So far they have not shown acceptance.”
The Council then requested that, within 48 hours, the Secretary-General should present a plan for the establishment of a United Nations force to ensure and supervise the cessation of hostilities, which he did.
His plan is the blueprint for establishing the first United Nations peacekeeping force – the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF). The mission was to oversee the withdrawal of the three occupying forces and, once the withdrawal was complete, serve as a buffer zone between Egyptian and Israeli forces and provide objective oversight of the ceasefire. shoot. The United Nations Emergency Force was armed, but these units were only allowed to use their weapons in self-defense and even then had to exercise great restraint.
Although more than 100 peacekeepers were killed, the operation successfully oversaw the withdrawal of British, French and Israeli armed forces from Egypt.
After UNEF promptly dispatched forces to the area, French and British forces left the Suez Canal Zone on 22 December 1956, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces was completed on 8 March 1957.
A UNEF motorized convoy flying the United Nations flag waits for Israelis to evacuate El Arish to move into that city in January 1957. (document)
United Nations clears blocked Suez Canal
The establishment of UNEF represents a significant innovation within the UN. It was not a peaceful exercise as contemplated by Article 42 of the Convention unchartedbut a peacekeeping operation carried out with the consent and cooperation of the conflicting parties.
To remind them of their homeland, UNEF staff and members of the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers constructed a sign outside their workshop in Egypt, with various distances to the members. street in Canada. (document)
Stationed entirely on Egyptian territory with the consent of the government, UNEF patrolled the Egyptian-Israeli armistice line and the international border in the southern Gaza Strip and brought relative calm to the area. The area has been in trouble for a long time.
The Suez Canal was blocked due to the conflict and was cleared by the United Nations.
The UN emergency force included 6,073 military personnel at its peak, from Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, India, Indonesia, Norway, Sweden and later South Private.
There were deaths: 109 soldiers and one local employee.
At the request of the Egyptian Government and having informed the Secretary-General that it would no longer agree to station the Force on Egyptian territory and in Gaza, UNEF withdrew its personnel in May and June 1967.
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UNEF troops from India practice evacuation and landing on Abu beach in Rafah, Gaza, 1958. (file)
