STAFF REPORT
Colonel Olivier Passot has been the defence attaché at the French Embassy since 2019, a former UN blue beret, he has served in South Lebanon for one year (2018-2019) under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
In an exclusive and informal chat with The Times Kuwait, Colonel Passot spoke about the important role of UN peacekeeping operations and his brief tenure as an ex-blue beret.
Keeping and maintaining peace between two warring nations has never been more important and necessary and the United Nations role as a neutral peacekeeper cannot but be appreciated.
While working with UNIFIL, as head of the Liasoning Branch, Colonel Passot and his team had to monitor the border between Lebanon and Israel, a task he said was not so easy. A 24×7 job, he says a situation could arise anytime and the team had to be ready to respond promptly.
“The UN peacekeepers are well respected for their neutrality, and this helps us in maintaining the peace,” Colonel Passot points out. He adds that, in many cases misunderstanding and miscalculation can quickly and easily flare up a situation that has to be brought under control as fast as possible.
Keeping communication channels open between the two warring parties is vital and necessary and this role played by the UN peacekeepers helps to clear up the misunderstandings that frequently arise.
In the case of Lebanon and Israel there is no clearly demarcated border and what constitutes a border is a blue line drawn by the United Nations. So UN peacekeepers make sure that compliance takes place along this 120km long border.
Frequent violations, Colonel Passot points out, have to be addressed and situations have to be de-escalated for the sake of peace. The Colonel relates several incidents, some serious, some humorous but all in the interests of peace.
Colonel Passot reveals that fortunately during his time in the United Nations on the Lebanon-Israel border, there were no dangerous incidents. He relishes the friends he made from different parts of the world, all working together as a team for the mission of peace.
Read Also:
Honoring the Blue Berets
Monitoring the Kuwait-Iraq cease-fire
France’s role at the United Nations: Peacekeeping and international security
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