The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) confirmed that the role of its Liaison Branch in disengaging is an indispensable element, whether in search and rescue missions, the passage of humanitarian aid convoys, repairing vital civilian infrastructure, or facilitating the movements and activities of UNIFIL and the Lebanese Army in southern Lebanon.
She explained that the importance of this role increased during periods of escalating tension, as appeared following the recent escalation, as the branch works to keep channels of communication and coordination open between the various actors on the ground.
The head of the branch, Colonel Thomas Labush, said that his team, consisting of 20 officers of different nationalities, works as a “bridge” that facilitates field work in the face of great challenges and complexities.
The team includes experienced officers, including translators, whose experience and human qualities enable them to carry out extremely difficult missions.
Labush said: “This operation has proven its effectiveness. Whether the situation deteriorates in southern Lebanon or turns toward calm, field communication remains in place.”
He added, stressing the importance of the role of deconfliction: “As long as there are different actors who are not all working on the same chessboard, we need someone to connect them.”
Speaking about the complex nature of the missions, he explained: “Of course, we cannot disengage in all cases, because the disengagement process is not an exact science.”
Disengagement is a very important activity in the tense operational environment in southern Lebanon, as it is based on communication and coordination with the Lebanese and Israeli armies, with the aim of supporting the safe movement of peacekeeping forces, humanitarian workers, and sometimes civilians, through the exchange of information to avoid misunderstandings and reduce security risks.
The Liaison Branch undertakes continuous communication with the Lebanese and Israeli armies and various humanitarian agencies operating in southern Lebanon, in addition to the leadership of UNIFIL and the relevant components within the international force.
This communication is complemented by a permanent and clear field presence on both sides of the Blue Line, through field patrols carried out by the branch.
The branch receives and processes dozens of disengagement requests and notifications daily, and is the only unit in the Mission with a physical presence on both sides of the Blue Line.
Even at the height of the recent hostilities, when most UNIFIL field operations on the Lebanese side of the Blue Line were suspended, Liaison Branch patrols in northern Israel, south of the Blue Line, did not stop.
Although the Liaison Branch was officially established in December 2006, following the summer conflict of that year, work in the field of disengagement began for the first time in 1986, through a small team formed to communicate and coordinate with multiple actors.
Flexibility is one of the main features of the liaison team, as Labush pointed out that success is not always guaranteed, and that planning is being conducted on this basis to ensure smooth operations and support UNIFIL’s mandate.
Labouche described the branch as a “very flexible tool”, primarily available to the UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander, but ultimately benefiting a much broader spectrum of actors.
He explained, “Flexibility means our ability to adapt to the situation, which may be affected by changing behaviors of various actors, or by leadership statements, or by major events such as the escalation of armed tensions in some regions,” stressing that work may be affected by multiple factors.
The importance of the Liaison Branch, according to UNIFIL, lies in its ability to continue coordination between the various parties, regardless of the circumstances, as all parties remain in contact through it, as it is a link that explains what should be done, what can be done, and how to implement it.
Although the liaison officers devote their efforts to achieving disengagement, this does not necessarily guarantee how the understandings will be implemented in the field, which requires sending teams to the sites of events when any friction occurs, to communicate with the various parties, resolve misunderstandings, and facilitate the implementation of missions.
Labush said: “When we encounter friction on the ground for various reasons, the Liaison Branch can send a patrol that includes individuals whose mission is to explain the purpose of any activity and clarify its framework or remind it, which means the existence of mutual agreements to get things done on the ground.”
He stressed that neutrality is essential for building trust, which in turn is the key to building and strengthening long-term professional relationships, stressing that these relationships prove extremely important in resolving problems and calming the situation.
With the end of UNIFIL’s mandate on December 31, and the subsequent reduction in the size of forces and their withdrawal, the role of the Liaison Branch in disengaging will continue for some time.
Labush believed that the continuation of this role would add direct value to the disengagement process, given the expectation that UNIFIL’s movements would increase during the phase of troop reduction and withdrawal.
He added: “With the withdrawal of UNIFIL, all movements will increase, and the security conditions at the time of withdrawal will be crucial to ensure that things proceed safely and that no injuries or deaths occur in any incidents, and for this reason disengagement will remain necessary until the end of the mission.”
