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ly September 2019, UNIFIL, to- 1. https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/mission/
gether with the Offi ce of the Uni- 2. unifi l.
http://unscr.com/en/resolutions/doc/425.
ted Nations Special Coordinator 3. http://unscr.com/en/resolutions/doc/426
for Lebanon (UNSCOL), worked 4. Hizbullah, literally “Party of Allah”, is a Shia
Islamist political party and militant group
effectively towards preventing con- founded in the early 1980s. It is a proxy to
fl ict and de-escalating tensions. Iran and waged a guerilla campaign in South
Lebanon, and as a result Israel withdrew from
Nevertheless, looking forward Lebanon on 2000. Hizbullah and its military
wing are considered as a terroristic organiza-
to the future and bearing also in tion by Israel, some western countries (e.g.:
mind the need to evolve in accor- USA, UK, France, Germany), Saudi Arabia
and other Arabic Sunni countries.
dance with current and future chal- 5. http://unscr.com/en/resolutions/doc/1701.
lenges, it could be taken into con- 6. https://peacemaker.un.org/sites/peacemaker.
un.org/fi les/IL%20LB_960426_Israel-Leba-
sideration to move the approach in non%20Ceasefi re%20Understanding.pdf
maintaining peace and stability in 7. https://undocs.org/S/2001/66.
8.
http://unscr.com/en/resolutions/doc/2373.
southern Lebanon from a more mi- 9. http://unscr.com/en/resolutions/doc/2485
litary oriented peacekeeping mis- 10. https://unifi l.unmissions.org/sites/default/
fi les/s_2019_574_e.pdf
sion, to a so-called peace stability 11. Inter alia: M. Serafi no, “Peacekeeping
and Related Stability Operations: Issues of
operation (PSO). The latter seems U.S. Military Involvement”, 2006 (https://
to be more fi tting the UNIFIL’s ap- www.everycrsreport.com/fi les/20050625_
IB94040_5f2a2330dfecce62ec7f62544d-
proach in providing, in addition to d3ba93d2e43767.pdf).
military presence, humanitarian 12. Chiara Ruffo, Military Cultures in Peace and
Stability Operations: Afghanistan and Leba-
and civic assistance, supporting non, Cloth 2018.
the Government of Lebanon in en-
suring the re-establishing of its ef-
fective authority: indeed, stability PICTURES:
operations are sometimes referred ANDREA FABI
CC MP
to as “Phase IV” or “post-confl ict” ITALAIR
operations, although reoccurren- UNIFIL
UNIFIL PIO
ces of confl ict are often possible . UNIFIL GIS
11
In this view, it should be advisable
to smoothly change the mission’s
footprint from a pure military ap-
se sanctity remains the main core proach, implementing the mission
of UNIFIL operational activities. with gendarme-type peacekeepers,
It can be said that, despite the specialized in managing the tran-
events occurred in the past and sition from a post-crisis situation to
the future challenges, on the one a more stable context for recon-
hand maintaining a strong military struction. This is why the professio-
presence and on the other hand nal background heavily infl uen-
acting at political and diploma- ces the peacekeepers approach
12
tic levels, since 2006 UNIFIL has and behavior : while conventional
proven to be able to ensure pea- military operations are guided by
ce and stability to southern Leba- tactical manuals that provide de-
non, fulfi lling its mandate as it has tailed behavioral prescriptions,
evolved. In his report on “Imple- there is more room for interpreta-
mentation of Security Council re- tion in peace and stability opera-
solution 1701”, dated 18 Novem- tions, which seems more close to a
10
ber 2019 , UN Secretary-General gendarme-type peacekeeper cul-
declared that, during last relevant ture and professional background. Lt. Col. Andrea Fabi
escalating in tensions across the Force Provost Marshal
Blue Line on late August and ear- UNIFIL

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