SOMALIA UNITAF

(4 March 1993 - 3 March 1994)

The situation in Somalia
deteriorated in 1990, when the
Somalian Army had been disbanded.
The arms depots were pillaged, tribes
were equipped with arms and civil war
broke out.
ith the !"1 #esolution, dated April 199$, the %& Security 'ouncil
(%&S)* decided to establish %&+S+, - (%nited &ations +peration in
Somalia*, in order to deal with the situation and prevent the oncoming con.lict.
The /orce consisted o. soldiers .rom 0akistan and +..icers .rom various
countries as +bservers.
-n September 199$, the above %& /orce, .ailing to .ul.ill set goals, were
isolated and cut o.. in a building comple1, trying to sustain their presence in
the country, despite the immense security and survival problems.
!923451$59$ %&S' #esolution authori6ed another operation to be
conducted by %&-TA/ (%nity Task /orce*, under the name 7#estore 8ope9,
.rom :ecember 199$ to ,ay 1994. The /orce was under %S';&T'+,
command and consisted o. 2".000 men ($<.000 .rom %SA and 1!.000 .rom
Saudi Arabia, Australia, =elgium, =otswana, 'anada, ;gypt, /rance,
)ermany, %.>., Greece, -ndia, >uwait, ,orocco, &igeria, &orway, &ew
?ealand, 0akistan, Sweden, Tunisia, %nited Arab ;mirates and ?imbabwe.
The .orce tried hard to restore and
maintain order and to .acilitate .ood and
medicine deliveries to all over the country.
-n ,arch 1994, the chie.tains o. 12
tribes signed an agreement in Addis
Ababa, under %.&. auspices. -t was agreed
that the %.&. would remain in the country
until 199", so that a government would be established and the State to
.unction again.
-n ,ay 1994, %&-S+, - was succeeded by %&-S+, --, in compliance
with the <123$@54594 %& #esolution.
:espite the signing o. the agreement right a.ter taking
the control o. Somalia .rom %&+S+, -- (,ay, "
th
1994*,
the retired )eneral /arah5,anchamed Aidict, chie.tain o.
the most populous tribe, with control over the ,ogadishu
area, demanded to undertake total rule and control o. the
country. As a result, con.licts between tribes and %&-S+,
-- began and many combatants were killed .rom both
sides.
PARTICIPATION OF THE HELLENIC FORCES:

+n $9 Aanuary 1994, the )overnmental 'ouncil on /oreign 0olicy and
:e.ense approved the assignment o. an Army 'ompany o. 19 +..icers, !
&'+s and <0 soldiers (@2 .rom the Army, $1 .rom the &avy, $1 .rom the Air
/orce*. The .orce was named as the 8ellenic 'ontingent in Somalia. -t
departed .rom )reece on the $@
th
o. /ebruary 1994 and arrived in the 'apital
o. ,ogadishu on the 2
th
o. ,arch 1994. +n the <
th
o. ,arch 1994, the 8ellenic
contingent was attached to the /rench =rigade and was stationed at %a6id,
2<0 km &orth5est o. ,ogadishu.
The ,andate o. the 8ellenic 'ontingent was to provide medical
assistance, ensure security and distribution o. .ood to the local population in
%a6id, as well as to provide limited technical support .or the reconstruction o.
the region, while trying to repair and restore the operation o. the local hospital.
hile stationed in %a6id, the 8ellenic 'ontingent developed the .ollowing
activities.
0rovision o. medical care to $."00 patients, during !" missions
in various villages in the broader area
;1amination o. about ""0 patients at the .ield surgery o. the %nit
@0 success.ul missions o. .ood distribution in cooperation with
the 8umanitarian +rgani6ation 7'+&';#&9
Assignment o. medical sta.. to the medical centre at %a6id,
under the supervision o. the 8ellenic team o. the 7:octors o. the
orld9 +rgani6ation.
#epair and construction o. roads, squares, sports .ields,
playgrounds, power networks, orphanage homes etc.
;ven though that there have been a number o. con.licts between %.&.
/orces and Aidit5led .orces, the )reek %nit did not get involved. 8owever, it
su..ered one casualty in a rebel ambush on the 12th o. +ctober 1994, where
Sergeant Soubouros ,ichail was killed, while escorting civilian vehicles o. the
7'+&';#&9 8umanitarian +rgani6ation.
The )reek /orce, in cooperation with si1 (@* doctors o. 7:octors o. the
orld9 +rgani6ation, reopened the abandoned hospital at Ba6it. =y this
action, the /orce gained in popularity with local population. /our )reek
doctors .rom the 7:octors o. the orld9 +rgani6ation developed remarkable
activities and assisted many people. Cocal population, as well as other
Services o. the ;.%. %&-';/ and the %.&., appreciated those activities
greatly. The )reek doctors were repatriated on the 11
th
o. ,arch 1992, a.ter
)liptis )eorgios, 8ead o. the +rphanage home at %a6it was killed, during an
armed con.lict.
The 8ellenic 'ontingent in Somalia was repatriated on the 4rd o.
,arch 1992 a.ter having concluded its mission.
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