Global Policy Forum

By Thalif Deen

After monitoring the Lebanese border for 23 long years and overseeing the withdrawal of Israeli forces last June, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is beginning a phased withdrawal of its troops from one of the most volatile hotspots in the Middle East.

''We are not withdrawing. We are restructuring and scaling down, but we will be there,'' Secretary-General Kofi Annan assured reporters. Annan said the restructuring will give the force the mobility to do the work that it has to do. ''The numbers may be smaller, but we will be there and actively engaged.''

In a report to the Security Council this week, Annan said that the reconfiguration of the UNIFIL will be achieved through the non- replacement or reduction of military units during their normal rotations.

The government of Ireland has already said it will not replace its contingent when it rotates its troops in October/November this year. The contingent from Finland will be reduced by 350 troops by the end of July, with no replacements envisaged. The departure of these two contingents will bring the total strength of UNIFIL to about 3,600 compared with the current 5,800 troops. The other support elements will be reduced in accordance with the overall reductions, Annan said.

When the reconfiguration is complete, the UN Force will comprise troops from France (headquarters guard), Ghana (infantry), India (infantry), Italy (helicopters), Poland (logistics) and Ukraine (engineers/demining). The overall troop strength will decline even further: to about 2,000 troops of all ranks.

Back in March 1978, Israeli forces invaded Lebanon immediately following a commando raid by the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) inside Israel. In retaliation, Israel invaded and occupied an entire region south of the Litani River in Lebanon. The PLO, at that time, was operating out of Lebanon. In the same month, the Security Council adopted resolution 425 (1978) calling for strict respect for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon. The Council asked Israel to ''withdraw (its forces) forthwith'' from Lebanese territory, and also decided to establish a UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon in 1978.

UNIFIL was created to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, help restore international peace and security, and assist the government of Lebanon in ensuring the return of its effective authority in the area.

In May 1996, despite the presence of UNIFIL, the Israelis shelled a UN compound in Qana, southern Lebanon killing more than 100 civilians. This was one of the biggest casualties of civilians in the confrontation in southern Lebanon.

Annan said that UNIFIL had essentially completed most of its mandate and will now focus on the remaining task of restoring international peace and security. Pending a comprehensive peace, UNIFIL seeks to maintain the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon along the Blue Line through patrols, observations from fixed positions and close contacts with the two parties. UN Spokesman Fred Eckhard told reporters that UNIFIL never had a mandate to impose peace and security. The original mandate, he said, was to certify that Israel had withdrawn, ''which they have now done''. At the same time, UNIFIL was also mandated to assist the government of Lebanon to re- establish its authority over the south, ''which we have done'', he added.

The third and remaining aspect of the mandate is to help restore peace and security, Eckhard noted. He said this can be done with a number of military observers backed by some support units from UNIFIL infantry. ''That is the Secretary-General's proposal. We'll see how the Security Council reacts to it.'' In the Secretary-General's view, he said, the reduced number of troops is sufficient to do the job. ''Of course, in the meantime, he is urging both sides to respect the Blue Line.''

The bulk of UNIFIL's troops will be deployed close to the Blue Line. The troops will be mostly mobile patrols of military observers from the UN Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO) - which is based in Jerusalem - and armed infantry units from UNIFIL.

Meanwhile, the United Nations will continue to maintain its demining unit since landmines will remain a serious hazard for UNIFIL. The United Arab Emirates has already pledged about 50 million dollars towards demining activities in the south of Lebanon.