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Egypt and Israel confirmed Brigadier General Pavel Kolář as the MFO Force Commander

Ministry of Defence & Armed Forces of the Czech Republic

19.1.2023

Author: by editorial staff (ob)

Brigadier General Pavel Kolář will become the new MFO Force Commander in Sinai on 5 March 2023. His appointment was approved by Egypt and Israel today. It is another proof of the Czech Armed Forces' excellent reputation, after two command tours in the EUTM Mali and the ongoing command of the Multinational Battle Group Slovakia, BG Kolář will become another Czech officer in command of multinational forces.

"It is an excellent news for the Czech Republic and for the Czech Armed Forces. Our allies have evaluated us quite highly for our performance in this mission. The selection of Brigadier General Pavel Kolář testifies to the fact that Czech servicemembers are reliable partners," Defence Minister Jana Černochová stated.

Brigadier Pavel Kolář is also looking forward to the new challenge, because it will enrich him with new experience. "I am greatly privileged, starting from the very offer, the nomination by the Chief of General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, and indeed with the confirmation of my nomination by the Minister of Defence. The international selection procedure was not easy and the message from the MFO Director General that I was selected and endorsed by the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Israel, was an extraordinary privilege for me," BG Kolář said and underlined that he was aware of the variety of responsibilities he will be up as the MFO Force Commander.

Security terms and conditions of the Egypt - Israel Peace Treaty

Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) is responsible for inspecting on the observance of security terms and conditions of the 1981 Israeli-Egyptian Peace Agreement. Today it has 1,151 servicemembers, with the strongest contingents assigned by the United States, Columbia and Fiji. The MFO is headquartered in Rome and headed by Director General Ms. Elizabeth L. Dibble. The two regional offices are based in Tel Aviv and Cairo and the mission personnel are based in the North Camp at El Gorah and South Camp in Sharm El Sheikh.

The Czech Armed Forces first joined the Multinational Force and Observers in 2009. The team of eighteen airmen and soldiers is not really the most numerous, but they are important, as they operate the Czech Air Force CASA C-295M airplane as the MFO's primary transport aircraft, which is a high-value capability.

After assuming command from Major General Evan Williams of New Zealand, Brigadier General Kolář will serve as the MFO's fourteenth Force Commander. Before serving as Deputy Commander of the Czech Land Forces, BG Kolář was the Director of the MoD Special Operation Forces Directorate. Previously he served in a variety of command and staff assignments in the 601st Special Forces Group. His deployments include a tour in SFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and he was also posted as the Czech Senior National Representative to the U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Florida, and deployed in Operation Enduring Freedom and ISAF in Afghanistan.

In charge of both the military and civilians

"The Force Commander is an operations commander of all military contingents in the Sinai, and there are presently 13 contingents. Their mission is to monitor and verify the observance of the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty, build mutual confidence and develop cooperation between the two parties of the peace treaty," Brigadier General Pavel Kolář explained.

Starting from March, BG Kolář will both be in command of the multinational force and responsible for eight hundred international MFO civilian and local contracted personnel. According to BG Kolář, the force commander heads and actively leads military observer and liaison activities, and the post requirements have therefore been high: "The commander is required to be experienced in coalition operations, including practice in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency, as there are also armed radical groups active in the region. The incumbent also has to possess significant skills in interpersonal domain and a track record of successful political-military engagements and working in diplomatic environment," BG Kolář elaborated.

BG Kolář will set his priorities after he receives his assignment from the MFO Director General. He definitely wants to make sure the successful mission performance continues, to effectively lead subordinates and maintain the MFO's perception as an effective peace organisation. "Last but not least, I seek to be a good representative of the Czech Republic, which has cultivated its reputation in the MFO on both military and international level," BG Kolář added.