“It is particularly important that our volunteer soldiers are training for this operation and taking part in exercise snot only in Lithuania but also in Germany. Execution of real tasks of the operation alongside German soldiers in the area of the international operation is one of the best proofs of our soldiers’ professionalism. I am proud of you!” National Defence Volunteer Force Commander Col Dainius Pašvenskas said thanking the homecoming soldiers.
The ceremony was also attended by Commander of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Butigeidis Dragoon Battalion Lt Col Arnoldas Vasiliauskas, commanders of the National Defence Volunteer Force Territorial Units, Mayor of Klaipėda Vytautas Grubliauskas, families of the soldiers, and other guests.
Lithuanian soldiers do not engage in combat actions in Operation MINUSMA. Lithuanians in MINUSMA a responsible for ensuring force protection in the military base compound. Aside from the Force Protection Unit and the National Support Element, Lithuania also delegates 5 Lithuanian soldiers to serve in MINUSMA operational headquarters in Bamako and Timbuktu.
While taking part in MINUSMA Lithuania also contributes to the United Nations efforts to ensure a bigger number of women serving in multinational operations in order to increase operational effectiveness, especially in civil-military cooperation with local communities, better situational awareness in the regions of conflict, inclusion of the most vulnerable part of the society – women and children – into the implementation of security sector reform, strengthening of the local security forces and police, etc. It would provide better conditions for post-conflict peace process implementation.
The UN has set the goal of 15% female staff in multinational operations headquarters in December 2017. Since the autumn of 2017 Lithuanian servicewomen make up 20% of Lithuanian servicemembers in operational headquarters – one position of the 5 staff officers is filled by a female CIMIC officer.
The United Nations seeks to have 5.25% of women in military contingents in 2019. In comparison, no Lithuanian women were deployed to multinational operations in 2016 but now the number is steadily growing – last year it was 3.6%: Lithuania deployed 3 women (8.8%) with the Force Protection Unit of 34 members until the end of last year, and 2 women (5.9%) are deployed again as of April 2019.
The United Nations launched the Multinational Integrated Stabilization Mission, MINUSMA, in Mali in 2013. MINUSMA is aimed at stabilising the country, supporting the implementation of the transitional action plan, protecting civilian population, promoting and protecting human rights, arranging humanitarian aid, preserving cultural heritage, and ensuring justice at national and international levels.
