Divisional Officer Patrick Gauchat now also responsible for Golan Heights
Published: Monday, Dec 23rd 2024, 12:20
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Divisional Officer Patrick Gauchat has been appointed interim head of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (Undof) in the Golan Heights annexed by Israel in 1981. The Federal Council appointed him at its meeting on Friday, as announced on Monday.
Divisional Officer Patrick Gauchat was asked by the United Nations to take over command of Undof in addition to his current role. Today, Gauchat is head of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (Untso), helping to prevent an escalation of the conflict between Israel and its neighbors in northern Israel.
Gauchat will perform his new function for the Golan Heights on an ad interim basis, writes the Federal Council. This is until the new commander, who was recently appointed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, takes up her duties. She is Anita Asmah from Ghana.
Monitor ceasefire
Undof was set up by the UN Security Council in 1974 to monitor the ceasefire and the withdrawal agreement between the Israeli and Syrian armed forces on the Golan Heights after the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Around 1,200 people are deployed for this purpose, 1,100 of them from military contingents.
Switzerland regards the temporary appointment of Divisional Officer Patrick Gauchat as recognition of his work, writes the Federal Council. His knowledge of the region and his contacts with the parties involved are "invaluable". In addition, the request from the United Nations is a recognition of the quality of the military personnel and the contributions that Switzerland has been making for years within the framework of international peacekeeping operations.
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