A new Brazilian frigate, Liberal, joined the UNIFIL fleet of Maritime Taskforce (MTF) on Thursday, replacing another Brazilian frigate Independência as the UN mission’s flagship.

The new vessel, which arrived in Lebanon on 7 September, will operate under the UN flag for six months. This is the third time the Frigate Liberal is serving with MTF since Brazil started to contribute to UNIFIL’s naval operation in 2011.

The outgoing flagship, Independência, served with UNIFIL MTF for six months.

At a special handover ceremony onboard Liberal, the Deputy Force Commander of UNIFIL, Brigadier-General Sandeep Singh Bajaj said the arrival of the new ship is “an evidence of Brazil's commitment to the noble cause of peace.”

“MTF’s assistance to the Lebanese Government in preventing the entrance of illicit weapons and weapons-related material, through sea, is instrumental to the overall UNIFIL effort toward a more peaceful and stable region,” said Brig-Gen Bajaj. “In contributing to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701, MTF also helps to create a safer maritime environment, which, in its turn, encourages trade, increases economic activity and, most important, improves people's lives.”

The Security Council resolution 1701, adopted in August 2006, forms the core of UNIFIl’s mandate that includes the maritime component.

Deployed since October 2006, UNIFIL MTF is the first and only naval task force ever to take part in a UN peacekeeping mission. It supports the Lebanese Navy in monitoring its territorial waters, securing the Lebanese coastline and preventing the unauthorized entry of arms or related material by sea into Lebanon.

UNIFIL currently has 860-member naval force and seven ships – one each from Brazil, Germany, Greece, Indonesia and Turkey, and two from Bangladesh – two fast patrol boats.

Thursday’s ceremony was also attended by Brazil’s Ambassador to Lebanon, Jorge Kadri, a representative of Brazil’s armed forces, Vice-Admiral Joése Leandro (himself a former UNIFIL-MTF Commander), Lebanese Navy Commander-in-Chief Rear Admiral Majed Alwan, and UNIFIL MTF Commander Rear Admiral Claudio Mello, among others.

Also this week, UNIFIL’s Force Commander’s Reserve (FCR) saw the transfer of authority to a new team. On Wednesday, Colonel Franck Boudet took the command of 850 French soldiers serving with FCR from the outgoing Colonel Jérôme Remanjon.

----------------------------------------------------------------
Article: Tilak Pokharel
Photo: UNIFIL-MTF
----------------------------------------------------------------