FIIAPP visits Spanish troops deployed in Lebanon

The two FIIAPP projects in Lebanon, “Promoting community policing in Lebanon” and “Advance Counter Terrorism for Lebanon Security have made a joint visit to the Miguel de Cervantes Base in the town of Marjayoun, in the south of the country, to meet with the Spanish contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the United Nations crisis management and peacekeeping mission led by Spain.

The UN mission in Lebanon aims to monitor the cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel and to accompany the Lebanese Armed Forces in the south of the country and along the separation between the two countries. Since February this year, the UNIFIL peace mission has been led by Spanish General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz.

The two FIIAPP teams visited the Miguel de Cervantes Base, headquarters of the Spanish-led Sector East Headquarters under the command of General Ignacio Olazábal. During the visit, the two teams were able to see first hand the work of the blue helmets, especially those that ensure humanitarian access to civilian populations, and had the opportunity to see and appreciate all the equipment available to the XXXVII Lebanon Brigade in command of the “Libre Hidalgo” operation.

The coordinator of the Project of Support to the Proximity Police, Consuelo Navarro, thanked General Olazábal and the defense attaché of the Embassy, José Fernández Alfaro, “for the hospitality and the warm welcome of the contingent to the two teams, which included a detailed explanation of the functioning of the mission and a presentation of the Spanish tactical capabilities in the field”. The project team leader, Joaquín Placencia, acknowledged to the Guzmán el Bueno brigade “the work carried out by the Spanish troops for and on behalf of the Lebanese community, transcending military functions by also prioritizing a human rights and proximity approach in all their actions”.

For his part, the director of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Project in Lebanon, Koussay Boulaich, highlighted the commendable work of our troops in compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, and the importance of knowing and coordinating the work of two key Spanish actors for the stability and development of the security forces’ capabilities”.

The visit was also attended by members of both FIIAPP project teams: CNP Inspector Jesús Arias, Team Leader of the counter-terrorism project; Irene Cara, Coordinator of the same project; Laia Castells, expert in Human Rights and Carine El Hajj of the Community Policing project; Vincent Desroches and Thomas Valetas, experts of CIVIPOL and the Advisor to the Prime Minister and National Coordinator of the ACT project, Dr. Lina Oueidat, representing the Lebanese government.