SRILANKA  MISSION

The role of the CRPF and its services rendered have extended beyond the nation’s borders as well. The services rendered by the CRPF in Sri Lanka as part of IPKF, as part of the UN Peace Keeping Force in Namibia, Somalia, Haiti, Maldives and also in Bosnia speaks volumes about the ability, agility, versatility and dependability of the Force to adapt to any conflict-situation round the globe. Presently a contingent of 240 personnel of RAF are deployed in KOSOVO as UN Mission in Kosovo is to provide protection and security to the UN officials/UN civil police/ Crowd control etc. RAF coys will also assist local Police to control /mob during violent demonstration, humanitarian and to assist the activities of the ICTY.

 HAITI MISSION

             (a)        Background                       

                        Haiti was under the commandment of National Council of Government in 1986 under Jean Claude Duvalier. The country went through a series of political instability moving from one military Government to other from 1986 to 1991. The country experienced 4 military coup. In 1991 military government was replaced by a young priest Jean Bertrand Aristide who took over as President after election in November, 1990, he was overthrown after 7 months in Sept, 1991 by General Cadres. The Priest Jean Bertrand Aristide took asylum in USA with U.S troops who prepared to enter Haiti under orders from President Bill Clinton of USA. The Wind was favourable for the return of Aristide to power by holding elections in Haiti in Oct 1994. 

                        A contingent of 120 male personnel selected from CRPF and FAF Units was formed up, trained and equipped for duties at 103 RAF in Delhi and they were sent to Haiti on 31 March’94. This contingent, then called as Company, worked in Haiti for various duties during elections as a part of US Army contingent forming 504 Military Police Battalion (Dragon Fighters) under UN Mission in HAITI (UNMIH). 

            (b)        Duties performed 

                        The duties performed by the contingent included mobile patrolling, saturation patrolling, manning and guarding of Police Stations and the National Prison, combined mounted/dismounted patrols, Prison monitor teams and security escorts. They also trained the prisoners. All such duties were conducted as a special arrangement for peaceful conduct of Presidential elections in Haiti. 

                        Shri R.S.H.S Sahota then Commandant, was the Contingent Commander. In recognition of the contingent’s excellent performance in Haiti, the contingent was awarded on U.S. Army Commendation Medal, 5 US Army Achievement Medals, 80 appreciation coins and UN Medal to all 120 personnel. After successful completion of the assigned task, this contingent was de-inducted from Haiti during November 1995.

KOSOVO MISSION 

            (a)        A contingent of two Coys of RAF comprising of 240 personnel were deployed in Kosovo to assist in its bid to resolve the ethnic crisis in Kosovo as Indian Special Police Unit (ISPU) under the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Kosovo from May 2000 from 1/9/2003 only one coy was deployed till to September 2005. 

                        The personnel for these contingents were selected from CRPF Bns and RAF Units and were given extensive and specialized training on the pattern of RAF at 103 RAF located in Wazirabad (Delhi). The command and tenure of each of the contingents were as under:- 

            (b)        Role and duties performed 

                        The contingent was mainly deployed in the Capital Pristina and was occasionally deployed outside this area as per requirement. 

The Role and tasks of SPU generally covered the following:- 

i)          Providing of protection and security to the UN officials, UN Civilian Police, UN Border Police, and Judges in the discharge of their duties. 

ii)         Security duties at sensitive localities having mixed population including guarding of Airport, High Security Prison. 

iii)         Providing of Operational support and backup to the UNIP. 

iv)        Security of the region by way of extensive patrolling and familiarization exercise.           

v)         Guarding of vehicle Registration office for mobile registration unit & building at Film City. 

vi)        Providing of assistance to Humanitarian agency like ICRC, UNHRC and other agencies recognized by UN if required. 

vii)        Assist the activities of the ICTY. 

viii)       Respond to threats to public order in co-ordination with KFOR. 

ix)        In addition to above, in view of the time Law & Order scenario in Kosovo and the changeover of the Deutsche Mark currency to Euro the SPU’s were also utilized to escort cash & provide close protection security duties. 

x)         Prisoner escort duty was also performed.        

(c)        Achievements 

                        The Kosovo contingent had the following operational achievements:- 

i)          Operation Black Hole: It was conducted by one platoon of SPU for 3 days from 16/06/2000 to 19/06/2000 on shift basis. The purpose of operation was to provide security to Customs and Border Police officers for checking of vehicles at General Jankovie border (Maccdonia). Contingent Commander along with officers carried out the detailed guard and aerial recee of border crossing and the operation was a great success. Mr. Gordon Mc. Rae, Director Operations, UNMIK Police MHQ presented a commendation letter applauding over all professionalism of Indian SPU. 

ii)         On 1/9/2000 one Mr. Jahulla Prenqi was apprehended along with one 7.62 pistol, 2 magazines and 14 rounds in Obilic area during the VCP/Foot patrolling duty. 

iii)         On 16/05/2001, one Team of SPU deployed for vehicle check point duty near village Veternin Breg, Pristina recovered 2 Lakh Yugoslavian Dinars from Mr. Dejac Soyevic of Caglanica, Pristina. 

iv)        On 3/6/2011, one team of SPU deployed for vehicle check point duty near village Laplje Selo recovered one M-48 Rifle, 350 rounds of 7.9 mm, one ammunition pouch etc. from Mr. Mikic Ljubinko a resident of Laplje Selo village. 

v)         On 6/6/2001, one Team of Indian SPU deployed for patrolling duty at Obilic Town recovered one AK Rifle with folding butt, another AK Rifle with bipod, 1009 rounds of 7.62 mm, 11 AK Rifle Magazines, 2 Grenade Launching Tube, 2 CP-6 Grenades, 78 Charger Clips and one unidentified grenade like object from a cemented manhole. 

vi)        On 8/1/2002, about 50 frustrated passengers occupied the administrative office of the Pristina Airport and declared they would not leave it before they were granted a flight. These people were removed by use of Force and with the professional help of Indian SPU. The Team Commander of Border Police, Pristina Airport appreciated the action of handling the ‘mob’ with thorough professionalism by Indian SPU. 

vii)        On 17/3/2004, wide spread violence erupted in Kosove. Mobs of Albanians attacked Serbians. They Damaged and looted their property and vandalized their religious places. A riot erupted when a crowd of 3000 persons gathered in the south of the ethnically divided town of Mitrovoica. The UNMIK Police Station and its regional HQ were attacked. Clashes also occurred in other parts of Kosovo that day. Twenty eight personas lost their lives and 851, including 153 KFOR and Police personnel were injured. 270 houses were brunt and 80 damaged. 3226 were internally displaced. Two Plattons of the Indian SPU were detailed for crowd control at the Serbian village, Caglovica on the Pristina Skopje highway. A violent crowd of 10,000 protestors, carrying sharp edged weapons was in the process of overrunning Caglovica. On the orders of the Regional Operational Commander, Pristina, plastic pellets and rubber bullets were fired on the violent protestors in order to save lives and property. Six personnel of the Indian SPU sustained injuries. A large number of crowd control equipment and vehicles were damaged. Professionalism of Indian SPU was appreciated by the UN which awarded the contingent a commendation certificate.

LIBERIA MISSION

             (a)        On a special request from United Nations and direction of Govt. of India/Ministry of Home Affairs, a fully formed Female Police Unit (FFPU) was formed up with Mahila CRPF personnel handpicked from 88 (Mahila) Bn, 135 (Mahila) Bn and all RAF Bns. They were trained at 103 Bn Wazirabad, duly equipped as per the UN norms, to perform duties in Liberia which had witnessed civil riots. The basic civil services and infrastructures in the country were in a completely destroyed state. This was the first ever Mahila contingent comprising of 105 female combatants and 20 male Adm support staff deployed for UN Mission under the command of Smt. Seema Dhundia, Commandant. 

                        Being the first contingent in Liberia, an advance recce was conducted by IG RAF Shri D.C Dey and the contingent Commander Smt. Seema Dhundia, Commandant from 27 Aug’07 to 01 Sep’06. On completion of the training and pre-deployment check by UN officials, the advance party under the command of Contingent Commander Smt. Seema Dhundia, Commandant, with 15 members reached Monrovia by commercial flight on 21 Jan’07. The Contingent owned equipments in 18 containers along with 27 light and medium vehicles were dispatched from Bombay by ship on 31st Dec’06. On reaching of the contingent equipments in Liberia, the main body under the command of chief Operational Officer Ms. Poonam Gupta, Dy. Commandant with 110 members left Delhi by UN chartered special air craft of Blue Airlines on 31 Jan’07 and reached Liberia on 31 Jan’07. 

                        This contingent after short familiarization training started performing various duties with effect from 08 Feb’07. 

            (b)        The duties of FFPU contingent cover the following:- 

• Security cover to MFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), HQrs of President of Liberia.
• Mobile JTFP (Joint Task Force Patrol) with UNPOL & LNP (Liberian National Police) & respond to any emergency situation.
• Foot Patrol along with Liberian National Police to curb crime in the area of responsibility.
• Rapid Response- Stand by duties at LNP HQrs.
• Anti-robbery back up patrol in violence prone areas.
• Special operations including cordon and search.
• Crowd/Riot control support to LNP / LEA (Law enforcement agency).
• Protection of UNMIL staff and properties.