The Nepali Army in UN Peace Support Operations

Introduction

Nepal became a member of the United Nations in 1955 and since then, has been an active participant in most UN peace operations. The participation of the Nepali Army in UN peace support operations spans a period of over a half-century covering some 44 UN missions, in which over 1,44,969 personnel have participated. The army’s long association with UN peace support operations began with a modest deployment of five military observers in Lebanon (United Nations Observer Group in Lebanon) in 1958. The first Nepali contingent, Purano Gorakh Battalion was deployed in Egypt in 1974. The Nepali Army has contributed to senior appointments at UNDPKO and Force Headquarters and has also deployed military contingents, military observers and staff officers. The army has also contributed significantly through the provision of niche capabilities such as engineers, medical teams and Special Forces contingents. Their devotion to duty and excellent performance have been widely acclaimed. The Nepali Army has always accepted challenges and participated in the most difficult operations. This has had a heavy toll on its personnel, and to date, 72 personnel have made the ultimate sacrifice at the alter of world peace and another 66 have been disabled.

Nepali Army in UN Peace Support Operations
S.No. Mission Year
1
UNOGIL, Lebanon (Military Observers)
1958
2
UNIPOM, India/Pakistan (Military Observers)
1966
3
UNEF II Sinai, Middle East (Peacekeeping Troops)
1974
4
UNIFIL, Lebanon (Peacekeeping Troops)
1978
5
UNMOT, Tajikistan
1989
6
UNGOMAP I/II, OSGAP I/II/III (Military Observers)
1989
7
UNIKOM Kuwait/Iraq (Force Commander)
1991
8
UNMIH, Haiti (Peacekeeping Troops)
1991
9
UNTSO, Israel, Middle - East (Staff Officer and Military Observers)
1992
10
UNISOM, Somalia (Peacekeeping Troops)
1993
11
UNPF/UNPROFOR, Former Yugoslavia (Peacekeeping Troops)
1994
12
UNGCI, Iraq (Peacekeeping Troops)
1995
13
UNTAES, Eastern Slovenia (Military Observers)
1996
14
UNPREDEP, Macedonia (Military Observers)
1996
15
UNOMIL, Liberia (Military Observers)
1996
16
UNMOP, Prevalaka (Military Observers)
1998
17
UNMIK, Kosovo (Military Observers)
1999
18
UNOMSIL/UNAMSIL, Sierra Leone (Peacekeeping Troops)
1999
19
MONUC, DR Congo (Peacekeeping Troops)
1999
20
UNAMET/UNTAET/UNMISET, East Timor (Peacekeeping Troops)
1999
21
UNFICYP, Cyprus (Force Commander)
1999
22
UNMEE, Ethiopia/Eritrea (Military Observers)
2000
23
MINUCI, Ivory Coast (Military Observers)
2003
24
UNOCI , Ivory Coaste (Military Observers)
2003
25
UNMIL, Liberia - Provost (Peacekeeping Troops)
2003
26
MONUSCO, DR Congo (Peacekeeping Troops)
2003
27
UNDOF, Israel/Syria (Force Commander & Staff Officers)
2004
28
MINUSTAH, Haiti (Peacekeeping Troops)
2004
29
ONUB, Burundi (Peacekeeping Troops)
2004
30
UNMIS, Sudan (Force Commander and Peacekeeping Troops)
2004
31
UNIFIL, Lebanon (Peacekeeping Troops)
2006
32
UNOMIG, Georgia (Military Observers)
2007
33
MINURCAT, Chad (Military Observers and Peacekeeping Troops)
2008
34
UNAMID, Sudan (Military Observers and Peacekeeping Troops)
2008
35
UNAMI, Iraq (Staff Officer and Peacekeeping Troops)
2008
36
UNMIT, Timor-Leste (Military Observer)
2008
37
MINURSO, Morocco (Military Observer)
2010
38
UNMISS, South Sudan (Military Observers and Peacekeeping Troops)
2011
39
UNSMIS, Syria (Staff Officers)
2012
40
UNISFA, Sudan (Military Observers and Staff Officers)
2012
41
MINUSMA, Mali (Peacekeeping Troops)
2013
42
MINUSCA, Central African Republic (Military Observers and Staff Officers)
2014
43
UNSMIL, Lybia (Peacekeeping Troops)
2016
44
UNMHA, Yemen  (Military Observer)
2019

Present Participation


As of 115th February 2023, the Nepali Army has deployed across 13 missions around the world. As a troop-contributing country, Nepal ranks second in the world. Currently, Nepali Army has some 6057 soldiers including 549 female soldiers serving in 13 different missions around the globe. Nepal has the commitment to provide up to 10,000 peacekeepers should the UN so request.

S.N.

Mission Name

Country

Contingent Strength

UNMO/SO

Total

UN HQ

Rem.

HOM/FC

Sector Commander

Staff Officer

Military Observer

Milad

P4

P3

1

MONUSCO

DR Congo

701

 

 

16

12

1154

1

3

1

 

MECH. BN

 

QRF Company

250

 

ENG COY

175

 

2

UNMISS

South Sudan

700

 

1

44

10

1755

 

SIB (BN)

 

FRB (BN)

850

 

HRC (Coy)

150

 

3

UNISFA

 Abyei Sudan

 97

 

 

9

2

108

 

4

MINURSO

Western Sahara

 

 

 

 

5

5

 

5

UNTSO

Israel

 

 

 

 

3

3

 

6

UNIFIL

Lebanon

850

 1

 

24

 

875

Non MSA-8

7

MINUSMA

Mali

156

 

 1

24

 

181

 

8

UNDOF

Syria

140

1

 

14

 

416

 

FHQ Support

 

ENG PL

30

 

Mech Inf.

188

 

Level- 1 (+) Hospital

34

 

CPU

9

 

9

MINUSCA

Central African Republic


 

 

19

3

1241

 

HRPB (BN)

600

LIB (BN)

450

MP (Coy)

169

 

10

UNAMI

Iraq

77

 

 

 

 

77

 

11

UNSMIL

Libya

234

 

 

1

 

235

 

12

UNITAMSSudan11

 

13UNMHAYemen


1
1

Total

5860

2

2

153

35

6052

1

3

1

 

Grand Total

6057

Present Participation as of 15th February 2023


* Total Women Participation: 2118

* Current Women Participation in Contingents: 549 (9.36%)

* Current Women Participation in UNMO/SO/MLO: 33 (17.18%)

* T/PCC ranking: 2nd



BIRENDRA PEACE OPERATIONS TRAINING CENTRE

Birendra Peace Operational Training Centre

The requirement for United Nations Peace Support Operations-related training along with institutional memories brought back from all these missions resulted in the establishment of a training Centre in Panchkhal in 1986 on an ad hoc basis. In January 2000, an international multi-platoon training exercise “Ex Shanti Prayas-I” co-sponsored by US Pacific Command was organized in this Centre, which paved the way to turn the ad hoc Centre into the full-fledged “Birendra Peace Operations Training Centre” (BPOTC) with a mission to provide a nucleus of expertise within the Nepali Army, responsible for the development of Peace Support Operations.

More information on BPOTC can be found at www.bpotc.nepalarmy.mil.np