Approximately 14,000 Soldiers Deployed for Peace
Published: Thursday, Jul 27th 2023, 09:00
Mise à jour le : Vendredi, 13 octobre 2023, 14:12
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For the past 70 years, around 14,000 Swiss men and women have volunteered to serve in the Swiss Army for peacekeeping missions. These missions have taken place in countries such as Namibia, Kashmir and Kosovo. This began in 1953 when the armistice agreement between North and South Korea was signed and the Swiss government decided to send voluntary army personnel for self-protection. Since then, peacekeeping efforts have evolved and Swiss soldiers have been involved in UN operations, such as medical units in Namibia, military observers and staff officers in the Middle East, West Sahara and Kashmir. In the mid-1990s, Switzerland also began a partnership with NATO to increase security in the region. Currently, around 280 Swiss men and women are deployed in 19 countries for peacekeeping missions, ranging from soldiers to divisional officers. By summer 2023, this number is expected to increase.
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