On a recent visit to see the work of UNIFIL’s Maritime Task Force (MTF) off the coast of Beirut Port, the UN Mission’s head and Force Commander, Major-General Luciano Portolano, commended the UN’s only naval peacekeepers for their specialized role in Lebanon.

“You are a great support to me as Head of Mission and Force Commander, you are a great support to UNIFIL, to Lebanon and to maintain calm and stability in all this area,” he told the naval peacekeepers.

The visit of Major-General Portolano as the head of UNIFIL was the last. He is leaving UNIFIL later this month after two years at the helm of the UN mission.

Deployed since October 2006, UNIFIL MTF was the first naval task force ever to take part is a 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’s MTF also coordinate with the Lebanese Navy on joint trainings. MTF was deployed on the request of the Lebanese government within the mandate of United Nations Security Council resolution 1701 (2006). The operational control of MTF has been delegated by UNIFIL Force Commander to the MTF Commander.

UNIFIL MTF Commander, Rear Admiral Claudio Henrique Mello de Almeida, elaborated on the work of MTF, “The maritime task force operates with seven ships from six contributing countries, so this adds up to about 900 people with the crews and also the staff. We operate at sea assisting the Lebanese Armed Forces navy in preventing the entrance of illegal arms in any of the Lebanese ports, this has a very important connection with United Nation Security Council Resolution 1701”.

While on board UNIFIL’s flagship Frigate Independência (Brazil), Major-General Portolano observed a naval parade with the MTF ships, as well as a live fire surface gunnery exercise.

On the deck he addressed the assembled crew of naval peacekeepers, “I am leaving this mission. In very few days I will be out of the area of responsibility, I will be back in Italy, but one of the most important things I will bring with me is just to have had one day with all of you on board Independência. Thank you very much and again congratulations, and my appreciation for what you are doing for peace in this part of the world.”

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Article: Aoibheann O'Sullivan
Video Editor: Mohamad Hamze
Video Camera: Mohamad Hamze
Photo: Pascual Gorriz Marcos
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