United Nations Peacekeeping After the Suez War: Unef I

The United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) was set up in November 1956 after the end of the short but historically important Suez war. It was the UN's first peacekeeping force. Sweden decided to put a contingent at its disposal, and this presented its military staff with problems it had not faced before. UNEF's first mission was in Port Said, where it formed a buffer between the British-French forces and the Egyptians during the evacuation of the canal zone by the former. After the withdrawal, UNEF remained for ten years as a buffer between the Egyptian and Israeli forces in Sinai and the Gaza strip. UNEF's presence brought calm to the region. Illegal passage over the borders, firing and various violations took place, but they were infrequent and not serious. UNEF was trusted by both sides, but this favourable situation could not prevail against new unfavourable political developments. The latter forced its withdrawal, and the 1967 war followed. . General Nils Skold (1921-96), who ended his career as Commander-in-Chief of the Swedish Army in 1976-84, took part as a junior staff officer in organising the first and second Swedish battalions in 1956-7, and in 1959 served in the sixth battalion as a company commander. It is thus with special authority that he writes the history of UNEF, with emphasis on the Swedish participation which involved a total of 12,000 soldiers. The Swedish experience from serving with UNEF is extensively analysed. The principles on which UNEF operated were formulated by Dag Hammarskjold, and the experience drawn from the operation have been used in subsequent peacekeeping operations. Most of this experience is valid to this day.