Hodeidah Yemen Agreement (UNMHA): 2 Generals Go



Retired Dutch General Patrick Cammaert, who since 23 December 2018, headed a United Nations advance team tasked with monitoring a ceasefire between the Iranian-aligned Houthi group and Saudi-backed government forces in Yemen’s Hodeidah port has resigned.

Retired US Marine General James Mattis who steered much of the change in military direction in Yemen left his post on January 1.

by Micheal John

For background, read: Pinnacle of Human Failure is Yemen

Replacing Patrick Cammaert is Lieutenant General Michael Anker Lollesgaard of Denmark as Chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) and Head of the United Nations Mission in support of the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA), as established in Security Council resolution 2452 (2019).

This was rumoured Monday and confirmed by FPM.news according to sources and a release now issued by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today.

Maj. Gen. Michael Ankar LollesgaardLieutenant General Michael Anker Lollesgaard of Denmark is now Chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) and Head of the United Nations Mission in support of the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA) 

Photo credit: Yemen UNHCR/Rawan Shaif – A portion of this report is updated from FPM.news , 20 September Yemen: Trump/SA/UAE War Crimes Exposed (In Depth) and from FPM.news,  21 December Mattis, who helped Kill 80,000 Yemeni Kids, just quit.

There has been no official statement about why Major General (retired) Patrick Cammaert of the Netherlands quit so abruptly.

According to the United Nations release,  Lieutenant General Lollesgaard served as Military Representative of Denmark to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) since March 2017, having previously served as Force Commander of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) from 2015 to 2016. He has trained military brigades from multiple countries and has broad international experience, serving as Assistant Military Adviser to the Permanent Mission of Denmark to the United Nations in New York. He was also deployed in peace support operations in the Balkans and Iraq, in addition to having commanded the multinational Peace Support Operations Training Centre in Bosnia-Herzegovina from 2007 to 2009.

Yemen Catastrophe

A detailed report to the UK Parliament committees on arms export controls contains shocking data and the study suggests weapons exports to conflict zones and states involved in human rights abuses be reduced or stopped. (Read the report: Archived-RINJ.press-FPMag-Written-evidence-Control-Arms-UK )

Saudi Coalition Air Raids on Civilian Vehicles & Buses
March 2015 – August 2018 – Source: Yemen Data Project please visit www.yemendataproject.org or contact the project’s volunteer spokesperson, Iona Craig: iona.craig@yemendataproject.org 

Saudi Coalition Air Raids on Civilian Vehicles & Buses March 2015 – August 2018 – Source: Yemen Data Project please visit www.yemendataproject.org or contact the project’s volunteer spokesperson, Iona Craig: iona.craig@yemendataproject.org 

Additional Reading:

The Following is the NATO Biography of General Lollesgaard and his distinguished career.

General Lollesgaard is a graduate of the Command and General Staff College, Royal Danish Defence College, Copenhagen, Denmark.

  • Full Name: Michael Anker Lollesgaard
  • Rank: Lieutenant General
  • Date of Birth: 13 November 1960 in Odense, Denmark
  • Family: Married to Helle Dibbern

Military Career:
1984 First Lieutenant
1986 Captain
1993 Major
2002 Lieutenant Colonel
2007 Colonel
2007 Brigadier
2013 Major General
2017 Lieutenant General

Service Record:
1985 – 1986 2 IC/Staff Company/The Queens Life Regiment
1986 – 1988 2 IC/Armoured Company/The Queens Life Regiment
1988 – 1989 Operations- and Intelligence Officer/I. Battalion/The Queens Life Regiment
1990 – 1991 Company Commander/The Queens Life Regiment
1993 – 1995 Teacher and later Syndicate Leader/The Royal Danish Military Academy
1995 – 1996 Chief/Operations Branch/1. Zealand Brigade
1996 – 1998 Staff Officer/Ministry of Defence
1998 Staff Officer/G-3/Headquarters/Task Force Eagle/SFOR
1999 – 2002 Assistant Military Advisor/DANMIS
2002 – 2004 Commanding Officer/II. Battalion/The Royal Danish Life Guards
2004 – 2006 Director/Army General Staff Course/Faculty of Strategy and Military Operations/The Royal Danish Defence College
2006 J3 MND SE Iraq
2006 Director/Army General Staff Course/Faculty of Strategy and Military Operations/The Royal Danish Defence College
2007 – 2009 Commandant/Peace Support Operations Training Centre, Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina
2010 – 2013 Commanding Officer/1. Brigade
2013 – 2015 Commanding Officer/Danish Division
2015 – 2016 Force Commander UN Mission in Mali
2017 – Danish Military Representative to NATO and EU

Decorations:
Commander of the Order of Dannebrog
Medal of Honour for 25 years of Good Service in the Army
Home Guard, Medal of Merit
NATO Medal for Former Yugoslavia
Defence Medal of Merit
KNBLO Cross for Meritorious Service (Nijmegen March)
Chief of Defence Medal for International Operations
Chief of Defence Medal for Operation in Mali
United Nations Medal for Service in MINUSMA

The full text of UNSC resolution 2452 (2019) reads as follows:

The Security Council,

“Recalling its resolutions 2014 (2011), 2051 (2012), 2140 (2014), 2175 (2014), 2201 (2015), 2204 (2015), 2216 (2015), 2266 (2016), 2342 (2017), 2402 (2018) and 2451 (2018) and the statements of its President of 15 February 2013, 29 August 2014, 22 March 2015, 25 April 2016, 15 June 2017 and 15 March 2018 concerning Yemen,

“Having considered the letter of the Secretary-General to the President of the Security Council of 31 December 2018 and its annex, circulated as document S/2019/28, submitted pursuant to its resolution 2451 (2018),

“Reaffirming its strong commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Yemen and its commitment to stand by the people of Yemen,

“Reaffirming its endorsement of the agreement reached in Sweden by the Government of Yemen and the Houthis on the city of Hodeidah and the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa (the Hodeidah Agreement) and reiterating its call on the parties to implement it,

“1. Decides to establish a special political mission, the United Nations Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA), to support the implementation of the Agreement on the city of Hodeidah and ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa as set out in the Stockholm Agreement, circulated as document S/2018/1134, for an initial period of six months from the date of adoption of this resolution;

“2. Decides further that, to support the parties in implementing their commitments in accordance with the Hodeidah Agreement, UNMHA shall undertake the following mandate:

(a) to lead, and support the functioning of, the Redeployment Coordination Committee, assisted by a secretariat staffed by United Nations personnel, to oversee the governorate-wide ceasefire, redeployment of forces, and mine action operations,

(b) to monitor the compliance of the parties to the ceasefire in Hodeidah governorate and the mutual redeployment of forces from the city of Hodeidah and the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa,

(c) to work with the parties so that the security of the city of Hodeidah and the ports of Hodeidah, Salif, and Ras Issa is assured by local security forces in accordance with Yemeni law, and

(d) to facilitate and coordinate United Nations support to assist the parties to fully implement the Hodediah Agreement;

“3. Approves the proposals of the Secretary-General on the composition and operational aspects of UNMHA set out in the annex to his letter of 31 December 2018 to the President of the Council, and notes that the Mission will be headed by the Chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee at Assistant-Secretary-General level, reporting to the Secretary-General through the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Yemen and the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs;

“4. Underlines the importance of close collaboration and coordination between all United Nations entities operating in Yemen in order to prevent duplication of effort and to maximise the leveraging of existing resources, including the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, the Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator and the United Nations country team in Yemen, UNMHA and the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM);

“5. Requests the Secretary-General to deploy UNMHA expeditiously and calls on the parties to the Hodeidah Agreement to support the United Nations as set out in document S/2019/28, including by ensuring the safety and security of UNMHA personnel, and the unhindered and expeditious movement into and within Yemen of UNMHA personnel and equipment, provisions and essential supplies;

“6. Requests Member States, particularly neighbouring States, to support the United Nations as required for the implementation of UNMHA’s mandate;

“7. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Security Council on a monthly basis on progress regarding the implementation of this resolution, including on any obstructions to the effective operation of UNMHA caused by any party; and on resolution 2451 (2018), including on any non-compliance by any party;

“8. Further requests the Secretary-General to present to the Council a review of UNMHA, by five months from the date of adoption of this resolution;

“9. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.”