United Nations Protection Force

United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) was a United Nations peacekeeping mission involving Canadians from 1992 to 1995.¹ The strength of the mission in March 1995 was 38,599 military personnel which included 684 UN military observers, 803 civilian police, 2.017 civilian staff and 2,615 local staff. From 1991, over 16,500 Canadian military personnel of all branches deployed to the Balkans as part of UNPROFOR.² During the course of the mission 167 fatalities were incurred, including 3 military observers and 159 military personnel.³  Of the latter, 11 were Canadian soldiers.⁴

Background

Yugoslavia was a multi-ethnic nation created in the aftermath of the First World War. The disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Empire resulted in several constituent republics (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro) with distinct identities. Following the fall of Communism in eastern Europe and declarations of independence by Slovenia and Croatia, tensions erupted in 1991. Each republic contained substantial minority populations and "the stage was set for years of ethnic and religious conflict."⁵

UN Mandate

UNPROFOR was established in February 1992 as an interim arrangement to create the conditions of peace and security required for the negotiation of an overall settlement of the Yugoslavian crisis. The role of the UN troops was to ensure that areas designated as "UN Protected Areas" (UNPA) became and remained demilitarized and that all persons residing in these areas were protected from fear of armed attack. The role of UN police monitors was to ensure that local police forces carried out their duties without discriminating against persons of any nationality or abusing any human rights. The force also assisted the humanitarian agencies of the UN in the return of all displaced persons who so desired.

There were several extensions of the original UNPROFOR covering the following purposes: reopening of the Sarajevo airport for humanitarian purposes; establishing a security zone encompassing Sarajevo and its airport; protection of convoys of released detainees in Bosnia and Herzegovina as requested by the International Committee of the Red Cross; monitoring arrangements for the complete withdrawal of the Yugoslavian Army from Croatia; the demilitarization of the Prevlaka peninsula and the removal of heavy weapons from neighbouring areas of Croatia and Montenegro (Res 779,1992); monitoring compliance with the ban on military flights (Resolution 781,1992); and the establishment of the United Nations presence in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

UNPROFOR also monitored the implementation of a cease-fire agreement requested by the Bosnian Government and Bosnian-Croat Forces in February 1994. In addition, UNPROFOR monitored cease-fire arrangements, negotiated between the Bosnian Government and Bosnian Serb forces, which became effective on 1 January 1995.

On 31 March 1995, the Security Council decided to restructure UNPROFOR, replacing it with three separate but interrelated peacekeeping operations: UNCRO (United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia), UNPREDEP (United Nations Preventive Deployment Force) under the joint theatre headquarters known as UNPF (United Nations Peace Forces) located in Zagreb. Eventually, following positive developments in the former Yugoslavia and the establishment of two new United Nations Missions in Bosnia -Herzegovina and Croatia, UNPF-HQ was phased out in January 1996.⁶

Canadian soldiers of UNPROFOR perform a medical evacuation in the former Yugoslavia. (Canadian Forces Photo Unit via LAC)

Canadian Military Involvement

Approximately 860 Canadian Forces personnel deployed to the Balkans with UNPROFOR in the spring of 1992 as Operation HARMONY, followed by a second deployment of 800 in September of that year. For three years, from the fall of 1992 to the fall of 1995 there were approximately 1,600 Canadians in the Balkans at any one time, as part of UNPROFOR, the United Nations Peace Forces Headquarters (UNPF-HQ) and (briefly) UNCRO.⁷

The UN Protection Force was initially formed to protect civilians and demilitarize several UN protected areas in Croatia, but its mandate and mission extended into the wider region. Virtually every Canadian infantry battalion and armoured regiment rotated through tours of duty in Croatia, Kosovo and Bosnia & Herzegovina. Canada also deployed naval resources in the Adriatic Sea to assist the UN in naval blockades of arms shipments to the region as well as air resources to enforce the UN’s no-fly zones and the arms blockade.⁸

The third Canadian Battle Group to serve departed for the former Yugoslavia in March 1993.⁹ The BG was structured on the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and included 875 soldiers, including a significant proportion of reservists. They operated initially in a UN Protected Area in northwest Croatia, intervening in raiding operations by both Croats and Serbs. In September 1993, UNPROFOR commander General Jean Cot of the French Army moved 2 PPCLI to Sector South, recognizing the professionalism the Canadians had displayed in their sector. The Erdut Agreement in Sector South was tenuously being recognized and the Serbian population was at risk of Croatian military operations. The Battle of Medak Pocket occurred shortly after their redeployment.¹⁰

Brigadier General Lewis MacKenzie served with UNPROFOR as Chief of Staff from February 1992 to April 1992, when he was promoted Major-General; and from May 1992 to August 1992 as Commander, Sector Sarajevo. Canada also provided the Deputy Theatre Commander, UNPROFOR, from September 1992 to 31 March 1995, and the Deputy Theatre Commander, UNPF from April 1995 to January 1996.

Units deployed included battalions of the three Regular Force infantry regiments as well as armoured and engineer regiments.

• The Royal Canadian Regiment
• Royal 22e Régiment
• Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
• Various Military Observers and RCMP
• Armoured and engineer regiments

Medak Pocket

Lieutenant-Colonel Jim Calvin's 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry deployed to an area known as the Medak Pocket in September 1993. The unit came under mortar and artillery fire as they passed through Serbian lines, and were forced to take up defensive positions while waiting for a ceasefire between the combatant forces. International pressure, as well as efforts by United Nations personnel and Lieutenant-Colonel Calvin personally resulted in a ceasefire agreement on 13 September, and Croat forces agreed to return to their 8 September positions. Two days later 2 PPCLI moved forward with two companies of French mechanized infantry to enforce the ceasefire.

However, the Croatian forces did not withdraw. As the Canadians and French moved forward, they were attacked by Croatian forces and forced to return fire to defend themselves. The fighting raged on for 15 hours, into the early morning of September 16. Under conditions of extreme peril and hazard, facing enemy artillery, small arms and heavy machine-gun fire as well as anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, the Canadian and French soldiers dug in, held their ground, and drove the Croatian forces back. During the course of this battle four Canadian soldiers were wounded. The Croatian general requested a meeting with Lieutenant-Colonel Calvin for the evening of September 15, at which it was agreed that the Croatians would move at noon the following day.

On the morning of September 16, smoke could be seen rising from several villages behind Croatian lines while explosions and bursts of automatic rifle fire could be heard as the Canadians and French again moved forward. The soldiers encountered a Croatian roadblock protected by a hastily laid minefield, a T-72 tank and anti-tank missiles. It became clear the Croatians were resisting the Canadian advance.

With an intense standoff ensuing, Lieutenant-Colonel Calvin eventually called forward a group of international reporters who had arrived at the scene, and pointed out to them that the Croatian army commander was not abiding by the terms of the ceasefire agreement and that they were hiding evidence of violence affecting civilians. The appearance of the reporters had the desired effect and Croatian forces backed down, allowing the battalion to enter the zone. The exemplary actions of the 2nd Battalion caused the Croatian Army to cease their ongoing tactics of violence affecting civilians, without question saving many civilian lives.

In the days that followed, the members of the 2nd Battalion gathered evidence of violence affecting civilians. Some of this evidence was used in the international criminal tribunals investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity during the wars in the former Yugoslavia.¹¹

The events at Medak have been interpreted differently following the Yugoslavian Civil War. In Canada, the engagement was little reported in Canada despite the fact the fighting at Medak was the largest battle Canadian soldiers had been involved in since the end of the Korean War. Recognition for those that participated came in 2002, when the Governor General inaugurated a new form of unit award. The Commander in Chief's Unit Citation was bestowed upon the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.¹²

The battle is not recognized by Croatia and Croatians who served in the region deny that fighting took place with Canadian troops.

The confrontation ended following a meeting between the chiefs of the Croatian operations and the heads of the UNPROFOR in Gospic. There had reportedly been 27 losses on the Croatian side, a figure which was, however, not recognized by Zagreb authorities. In the face of pressure, the Croatians finally withdrew their troops from the Medak Ridge, not without having made use of different manoeuvres of obstruction and intimidation in order to slow down the advance of UN troops. That delay allowed them to carry out their sorry undertaking: the systematic destruction of occupied Serbian villages. In spite of signs of ethnic cleansing, UN forces were unable to intervene because they had to respect the arrangements made with the Croatians. Despite that failure, the subsequent inquiry by the peace forces at least made it possible to charge three high-ranking officers of the Croatian army, thus striking a hard blow to the count(r)y’s reputation.¹³

Insignia

Ninety days service with the mission from 1 Mar 1992 to 19 Dec 1995 entitled a Canadian serviceman to the UNPROFOR Medal. The ribbon consisted of 9 stripes: UN blue (2.5mm), light green (5mm), UN blue (3mm), white (1mm), red centre (8mm), white (1mm), UN blue (3mm), dark brown (5mm), and UN blue (2.5mm).

Awards to Canadians included:

• 1,200 in 1992
• 2,222 in 1993, not including 225 RCMP awards to end of 1993.
• Total in 1994-95 unknown.

Members who served with Operation SHARP GUARD in the Adriatic Sea, and AWACS crews based out of Germany during Operation DENY FLIGHT counted their service towards the NATO medal for the Former Yugoslavia instead.¹⁴

Fatalities

Eleven Canadian soldiers died during their service with UNPROFOR.¹⁵

Notes

1. United Nations UNPROFOR page: http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/past/unprof_p.htm

2. DND Backgrounder on the Battle of Medak Pocket: http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/news/article.page?doc=the-battle-of-medak-pocket/hljg3bso

3. United Nations UNPROFOR page: http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/past/unprof_p.htm

4. UN Peacekeepers Roll of Honour http://www.members.shaw.ca/kcic1/peacekeepers.html
5. DND Backgrounder on the Battle of Medak Pocket: http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/news/article.page?doc=the-battle-of-medak-pocket/hljg3bso
6. Canadian Forces UNPROFOR Medal page: http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhr-ddhr/chc-tdh/chart-tableau-eng.asp?ref=UNPROFOR
7. Canadian Forces UNPROFOR Medal page: http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhr-ddhr/chc-tdh/chart-tableau-eng.asp?ref=UNPROFOR
8. DND Backgrounder on the Battle of Medak Pocket: http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/news/article.page?doc=the-battle-of-medak-pocket/hljg3bso
9. Thank you to LCol Sean Hackett, who as a platoon commander led 5 Platoon, "B" Company of 3 PPCLI during Op HARMONY from Sep 1992 to Apr 1993 for his correction to this page. He notes that "(d)espite the clear and well-deserved praise for such an historic tour (i.e. 2 PPCLI) it does not change the fact that this BG was the third BG into theatre (ROTO 2). The first BG to rotate into theatre from Canada was the 3 PPCLI (Battle Group) from Victoria, in relief of 4 CMBG ROTO 0 elements." (Correspondence to webmaster 23 Feb 2017 in response to the webmaster's inaccurate reporting of 2 PPCLI as being the first BG).
10. DND Backgrounder on the Battle of Medak Pocket: http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/news/article.page?doc=the-battle-of-medak-pocket/hljg3bso
11. Ottawa Citizen story: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=bf494a0f-2b8a-4b31-9b5a-a71ddf1f78a2 Map from Wikipedia, accessed online at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Medak_Pocket#mediaviewer/File:Medak_pocket_battle_map.png
12. DND Backgrounder on the Battle of Medak Pocket: http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/news/article.page?doc=the-battle-of-medak-pocket/hljg3bso
13. Légaré, Kathia and Lisa Tanguay "Use of Force by UN Peacekeepers: Application of the Medak Agreement in September 1993", in Canadian Army Journal, Vol 9 No 3 accessed online at http://www.journal.forces.gc.ca/vo9/no3/10-legare-eng.asp
14. Canadian Forces UNPROFOR Medal page: http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhr-ddhr/chc-tdh/chart-tableau-eng.asp?ref=UNPROFOR
15. UN Peacekeepers Roll of Honour, Ibid