The United Nations Iraq–Kuwait Observation Mission ( UNIKOM ) was established on April 9, 1991 following the Gulf War by Security Council Resolution 689 (1991) and fully deployed by early May 1991.
8-557: The task of joint military observers was to monitor the demilitarized zone (DMZ) along the Iraq-Kuwait border and the Khawr 'Abd Allah waterway, deter border violations and report any hostile action. On February 5, 1993, under Security Council Resolution 806 , the mandate was extended to include physical action to prevent violations and the force was expanded to an intended three mechanized infantry battalions plus support. The mandate of UNIKOM
16-523: A de facto international border, such as the Korean Demilitarized Zone . Other examples of demilitarized zones are a 14 km (8.7 mi) wide area between Iraq and Kuwait ; Antarctica (preserved for scientific exploration and study); and outer space (space more than 100 km or 62 mi from the Earth's surface). Some zones remain demilitarized after an agreement has awarded control to
24-528: A HQ logistic company from Sweden drawn from UNIFIL. Bury, Jan (2003). "The UN Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission". International Peacekeeping , 10 (2): 71–88. [1] Demilitarized zone A demilitarized zone ( DMZ or DZ ) is an area in which treaties or agreements between states, military powers or contending groups forbid military installations, activities, or personnel. A DZ often lies along an established frontier or boundary between two or more military powers or alliances. A DZ may sometimes form
32-954: A new conflict, the War in Iraq , would dissolve the "peacekeeping" mission. Swarms of military equipment would gather in Kuwait and cross into Iraq's borders during the 2003 invasion of Iraq . During the mission, there were 18 fatalities. Contributors are Argentina , Austria , Bangladesh (including the mechanized infantry battalion), Canada , Chile , China , Denmark , Fiji , Finland , France , Germany , Ghana , Greece , Hungary , India , Indonesia , Ireland , Italy , Kenya , Malaysia , Nigeria , Norway , Pakistan , Philippines , Poland , Romania , Russian Federation ( Soviet Union before December 24, 1991), Senegal , Singapore , Sweden , Switzerland , Tanzania , Thailand , Turkey , United Kingdom , United States , Uruguay and Venezuela In addition, during
40-514: A state which (under the DZ terms) had originally ceded its right to maintain military forces in the disputed territory. It is also possible for powers to agree on the demilitarization of a zone without formally settling their respective territorial claims, enabling the dispute to be resolved by peaceful means such as diplomatic dialogue or an international court. Several demilitarized zones have also unintentionally become wildlife preserves because their land
48-492: Is unsafe for construction or less exposed to human disturbances (including hunting). Examples include the Korean Demilitarized Zone , the Cypriot Demilitarized Zone ( The Green Line ), and the former Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone which divided Vietnam into two countries ( North Vietnam and South Vietnam ) from 21 July 1954 to 2 July 1976. Wildlife preserve Too Many Requests If you report this error to
56-402: The setting-up phase (April–October 1991), UNIKOM included a Canadian combat engineer regiment (1 CER), a Security Battalion consisting of a multinational Bn Staff (SWE-FIN-NOR) and five infantry companies, drawn from UNFICYP and UNIFIL . Those troops were provided by Austria, Denmark, Fiji, Ghana, Nepal, and United States. There was also a maintenance/repair & recovery unit from Norway and
64-552: Was completed on October 6, 2003. The force's headquarters were in Umm Qasr , Iraq, within the DMZ. The maximum strength of the force was 1,187 on February 28, 1995. The Security Council extended its mandate for a final time in July 2003. The mission ended on September 30, 2003. There were over 135 military observers and civilian staff at the time, mainly protecting the border checkpoints. Ultimately,
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