Our ASMO member, Patrick Gauchat, reports on his assignment

From Colonel Adrian Zurmühle

 

Our ASMO member, Patrick Gauchat, reports on his assignment

20251217_LIBERTE_Patrick_Gauchat

(original article in French)

Page title: A Fribourg native speaks about his peace mission.

Cover image: For more than 20 years, Divisional Commander Patrick Gauchat has been engaged in peacekeeping operations around the world.

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Head of the UN mission in Israel since 2021, Fribourg-born Divisional Commander Patrick Gauchat (58) will leave his quarters in Jerusalem in March. He oversees the “Blue Line” separating Israel from Lebanon and Syria.

MIDDLE EAST >> As the first Swiss national to command a UN mission, Divisional Commander Patrick Gauchat (58) will leave his headquarters in Jerusalem this spring after four years in the position. With 400 blue helmets deployed in the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) mission, the Fribourg native monitors the “Blue Line” separating Israel from southern Lebanon and Syria. Interview with a peace officer who was once a scout in Romont.

Middle East >> As the first Swiss national to command a UN mission, Divisional Commander Patrick Gauchat (58) will leave his headquarters in Jerusalem this spring after four years in the position. With 400 blue helmets deployed in the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) mission, the Fribourg native monitors the “Blue Line” separating Israel from southern Lebanon and Syria. Since the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, the number of ceasefire violations has exploded. Yet this senior officer retains faith in peace missions, which show belligerents that they are being closely observed. Interview with a peace officer.

When you completed your engineering degree at EPFL, did you imagine that one day you would become the first Swiss national to oil the delicate machinery of a UN peace mission in the Middle East?

Patrick Gauchat: Honestly, no. It is true that my profession as an engineer allowed me to travel in Switzerland and Europe. It also gave me the opportunity to advance within the army and to gain my first experience as a military observer in 2000, 25 years ago already, in the Middle East.

Two silver stars shine on the epaulettes of your dress uniform, while an impressive series of military decorations lines your jacket, including that of marksman. Will you therefore always remain a peace officer?

A peace mission is probably the best way to be in contact with war. It puts to the test the strength of our personal training and the preparedness of Swiss society for crises and wars. The goal is of course to maintain peace or ceasefires, and in this field the Swiss are well regarded: hardworking, neutral, open, reliable, without a colonial past or major national interests, we possess intrinsic qualities sought after for this peacekeeping work.

Maintaining peace allows you to observe war. You also made a remark in passing to the Chief of the Swiss Armed Forces, Thomas Süssli…

Yes. About the application used in Israel to receive alerts when Iranians, Hezbollah in Syria and Lebanon, or the Houthis launch a missile at the country. Instantly, one receives the alert and an estimated impact time, allowing people to take shelter. It is probably this tool that enabled Israelis to endure these two years of war against Hezbollah and Iran. This application could be useful for Switzerland in the future if the situation in Europe deteriorates.

Will you remain in your post much longer?

At the UN there is normally a two-year limit for military commands. Given the situation in the region, it made sense for the UN to request an extension of my mandate. The saying “In crisis know faces” – in a crisis it is important to know people personally – works effectively. However, there is a limit of four years and a few months, which means I will have to leave in spring.

For which assignment?

I am making myself available to the army…

The bloody Hamas attack along the Gaza Strip and Israel’s extremely deadly response have turned the region into a powder keg for two years now. How does one manage so much tension?

Your question is interesting: Israel operates on seven interconnected fronts. Monitoring this system and assessing the operational and security impacts on my military observers must be analysed, and appropriate measures must be systematically discussed and implemented. More than two years of crisis wear anyone down, and protective measures must be put in place: continuing to meet partners, providing greater support to military observers on the front line, explaining security needs in depth to the parties in conflict. To endure, personal well-being, support from loved ones, and working with a team you can rely on are of paramount importance. Temporary inconveniences must also be digested immediately.

Are the ceasefire violations you document becoming increasingly frequent, especially on Israel’s side, which appears to be preparing a ground operation in southern Lebanon?

Indeed, whereas previously we dealt with isolated violations or incidents, over the past two years we have increasingly had to use “heat maps” highlighting numerous incidents and violations. The number has at times reached 100 violations per day. This allows us to discuss not isolated cases but urgent hotspots with the parties to the conflict, particularly when the civilian population is affected. Like last year, when a strike killed 12 Druze children from the Golan in Majdal Shams on a playground?

Yes. We can support the population through our presence, investigations, a documented report, measures, and discussions with those affected by these tragedies. My meeting with the first responder who arrived at the scene and saw his child killed by the explosion you mentioned was a powerful moment. Our testimony in a way allows his child to live on and gives hope that justice will be done, which earns us touching expressions of gratitude.

Have there been any wounded among your blue helmets?

I had four wounded on the “Blue Line” separating Lebanon and Israel. One of my observers was seriously injured and treated in hospital. She courageously wished to continue working for UNTSO until the end of her mandate. She remained for eight months during this conflict on the “Blue Line”. It is always a delicate decision to remain present on ceasefire lines until the very last moment.

Are such risks worth these sacrifices?

Yes. Our presence creates restraint among the parties who are fighting: we show them that someone is watching and reporting to the world. This often prevents war crimes and protects populations caught in the crossfire. These four wounded were not in vain, but I am glad that, for the first time during a conflict period, my mission in Israel recorded no fatalities, whereas since 1949 deaths have systematically occurred during renewed wars or conflicts.

Do you regularly come under fire?

During missions by my teams on the “Blue Line”, there have been injuries and explosions close to our vehicles or observation posts. Fortunately, the security systems at our disposal were effective. The sound of detonations, vibrations, and drone flights are omnipresent.

Would carrying a weapon reassure you in certain circumstances?

No, because we operate between armies with command chains. Carrying a weapon can arouse mistrust among the population and undermine the assistance we wish to provide. The presence of a weapon can also be a source of stress, and accidents happen quickly.

It is said that Iran will never fire on Jerusalem because of the holy sites located there. True?

Jerusalem is clearly not targeted by Iran because of the holy sites. During strikes, however, hundreds of missiles flew over our headquarters located on a hill overlooking the Old City. The clearly visible trajectories resemble a multitude of meteorites. The alert systems give us precise impact points of incoming objects, which removes anxiety related to these bombardments, especially if you are in a city that is not a target.

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INSPIRED BY THE SCOUTS

Patrick Gauchat’s involvement with the scouts in Romont shaped his youth and opened him to travel.

Risking his life for peace?
When he goes to sites of ceasefire violations along the Israeli–Lebanese border, Patrick Gauchat could make the sign of the cross. “Sometimes when I return from a mission, I stop for a moment along the way to recover from the stress,” he confides. “But no, I do not cross myself, out of respect for other religions.”

Despite the strong presence of death, the Fribourg native has confidence in life. An optimism and determination that likely stem from his scouting years. Having become a Romont resident after his parents moved from the Bernese Jura to the Glâne district capital, Patrick Gauchat maintains very strong ties with the group he attended in his childhood.

“I certainly learned pacifism and altruism with the scouts,” he says. “In Romont, what marked my youth were the trips we organised to help unknown people farther away on the planet.” And so the young man of that time travelled to Egypt to take part in a charitable action under the guidance of Sister Emmanuelle, a Belgian nun who has since passed away.

“This Christian solidarity initiative came from our globally known Glâne painter André Sugnaux,” he continues. “We also organised a similar trip to Poland. These adventures illustrate the long humanitarian tradition of the scouts of Romont. Our predecessors had already undertaken an expedition to the Holy Land when the Six-Day War was raging.” These experiences created strong bonds. Former scouts from Romont even recently travelled all the way to Jerusalem to visit their former comrade.

Travelling extensively and enjoying the discovery of other languages now helps him command 400 blue helmets. “Our working language is English, but knowing a few phrases in other languages such as Arabic, Hebrew, Spanish, Russian, Chinese or Scandinavian helps put your counterpart at ease and start a discussion on a more relaxed basis,” he says.

This open-mindedness facilitates his work in dealing with the many high-ranking interlocutors he meets. “In Israel and Lebanon, I meet presidents, ministers and generals responsible for borders and the units concerned,” explains Patrick Gauchat. “In other countries such as Syria, my counterparts are the foreign ministers and the defence minister, as well as the generals responsible for the Golan. In countries where fighting is not raging (Egypt, Jordan), I meet directors of international affairs or UN affairs, as well as generals.”

Regularly, the commander of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) travels to UN headquarters in New York. “The ambassadors of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, the non-permanent members, and the countries contributing military observers to my UNTSO mission – a total of 31 countries – are also among my contacts,” he lists. “I also include ambassadors from influential countries in the region, such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Turkey or the Arab League.”

Addicted to a change of scenery, Patrick Gauchat will not spend Christmas in Romont. Feeling at home in this region of the world despite its perpetual conflict, the Fribourg native will spend the holidays in Bethlehem and Jerusalem. >> PAS >> PAS

Images pages 2 & 3: In the snow of Mount Hermon between Syria and Lebanon, facing Guy Parmelin or Pope Leo XIV, or on the Golan Plateau, Patrick Gauchat has never ceased to advocate peace. dr

Page 2 footer (Chronology): AROUND THE WORLD

2004 Deputy head of the Swiss delegation to the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) in Panmunjom, Korea.

2009 Peacekeeping operations officer at UN headquarters in New York, assigned to the MONUSCO (DR Congo) and Somalia missions.

2011 Deputy head of the UNTSO mission in Jerusalem.

2013 Commander of the Northern Joint Regional Detachment (JRD-N) of KFOR in Kosovo.

2014 Senior officer for the Middle East and Asia at UN headquarters in New York.

2017 Head of the Swiss delegation to the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) in Korea, until 2021.

2021 In October, appointed Head of Mission and Chief of Staff of UNTSO (United Nations Truce Supervision Organization) by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, based in Jerusalem.

2024 In addition to his UNTSO duties: Head of Mission and interim Force Commander of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF/FNUOD) on the Golan Plateau in December.