New Zealander commands MFO in Sinai
New Zealand Defence Force Major General Warren Whiting took command of the Multinational Force Observers (MFO), Sinai, in a handover ceremony on 3 March 2010. MAJ GEN Whiting took over command from Norwegian MAJ GEN K. Narve Ludvigsen at North Camp, El Gorah.
MAJ GEN Warren Whiting
The significance and benefit of having a New Zealand General commanding a formation in this strategically vital area cannot be overestimated.
The task of protecting and sustaining the MFO, while maintaining operational effectiveness, requires careful co-ordination and planning—particularly given its proximity to areas of conflict.
MAJ GEN Whiting is the second New Zealand officer to command the MFO, which provides mediation between Egypt and Israel, the two parties to the Treaty of Peace. Over 1,600 troops from 12 nations, together with 800 specialist civilian employees monitor the 210 km common border between Egypt and Israel.
The MFO has been in operation since 1982, and the NZ Defence Force has maintained a constant presence in the mission. Generations of Kiwi Service personnel have deployed to the challenging desert conditions of Sinai. They follow a long tradition of New Zealand operations in the Middle East, both in the First and Second World Wars. There is currently a 28-strong NZ Defence Force contingent in the Sinai, in all of the key MFO functional areas.