News
11 Slovenian Armed Forces Contingent deployed to Lebanon
In early morning hours of 22 November, 14 members of the 11th Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) Contingent were deployed to a UN peace mission UNIFIL in Lebanon.
A week before, a ceremony took place marking the departure of the fourth contingent provided by the 9th Air Defence Battalion. On this occasion, service members were addressed by SAF Force Commander Brigadier Branimir Furlan and Commander, Air Defence and Aviation Brigade Lieutenant Colonel Jani Topolovec. In his address, Force Commander stressed that despite its small size, the 11th Slovenian UNIFIL Contingent will add an important piece to the peace-support mosaic in Lebanon, just as all of its predecessors have. At the same time, he expressed his conviction that the contingent would perform its tasks with due diligence and professionalism. He thanked the relatives of contingent members for the sincere support demonstrated at the deployment of their loved ones.
During the following six months, all 14 contingent members under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Janez Pungaršek will be stationed at the UN military base in Shama. They will perform patrols and provide assistance in the resolution of crisis in southern Lebanon.
In line with the Decision of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, SAF members have participated in UNIFIL since December 2006. According to the UN Security Council Resolution 1701, their tasks include the protection of the entire area of responsibility, including the control of the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel, and all entry points into the southern part of Lebanon. SAF members also assist members of the Lebanese Armed Forces in maintaining stability in the country. So far, 152 SAF members have participated in UNIFIL.
