Swedish UN Research Articles

Reconstructing the peacekeeper: the televised sense-making of Sweden’s shifting policy on the use of force after the military failure in Bosnia 1995

This article interrogates how the shift to a more robust mandate in Bosnia was made intelligible to the Swedish TV audience. The turn to peace-enforcement and NATO command in December 1995 represented a clear break with Swedish tradition and identity, and essentially signified a turning point in Sweden’s policy on the use of force. The analysis reveals how four characterizations of the Swedish UN soldiers served to make sense of recent events and ultimately paved way for future policy changes; throughout the six-month period under scrutiny, the depictions, very broadly, moved from weak soldiers and failed warriors, to honourable peacekeepers and unique combat soldiers. The Swedish peacekeeper figure is thus reconstructed, essentially accommodating an increased involvement in activities of peace-enforcement and war-like operations.

Swedish peacekeepers in Bosnia and Herzegovina: A quantitative analysis

This article describes the prototypical peacekeeping soldier and his experiences, based on a sample of all male soldiers serving in mechanized infantry companies in the first four Swedish UN battalions in Bosnia and Herzegovina (N = 1,238). A questionnaire was administered as a part of the demobilization programme. The prototypical peacekeeper is male, 20–25 years old, single, serves in a mechanized infantry company, and is on his first UN mission. Four different types of motives for joining the service were identified. The degree of perceived family support co‐varied strongly with service experiences. Favourable evaluations of the service period were associated with good relations with commanders and peers, perceiving few tasks as boring, but also with a high exposure to stressful events. The positive association with stress exposure may be related to the fact that no Swedish peacekeepers were killed during this period, which in turn probably contributed to experiences of invulnerability among the exposed soldiers while also increasing their social status among peers.

A model for understanding stress and daily experiences among soldiers in peacekeeping operations

This article is based on research that aimed to develop a deeper theoretical understanding of the UN peacekeeping soldiers’ experiences of their daily service, from their own perspective, using a grounded theory approach. Study participants were Swedish UN peacekeeping personnel who served in former Yugoslavia from Autumn 1993 to Autumn 1995. A model was developed, according to which UN peacekeeping soldiers’ experiences of their daily service are formed by the dynamic interplay between external influencing factors and internal peacekeeping force factors. The external factors comprise: the service environment including the parties to a dispute, the media and the soldier's private social network. Most of the soldiers’ responses concerning the environment were about low‐intensity stress and fear of losing control of their aggressiveness. The internal peacekeeping force factors include the recruitment principles, the preparatory training, leadership issues and personal characteristics of the individual soldiers. The model indicates that internal factors can be modified in ways that might make it possible to reduce the impact of the external factors. The generalizability of the model needs to be evaluated in future studies involving different kinds of peacekeeping missions.

The Role of Peacekeepers in the 1990s: Swedish Experience in UNPROFOR

In recent years there has been a development towards more complex forms of UN peacekeeeping. One example of this is the UN mission in former Yugoslavia (UNPROFOR), to which Sweden has contributed troops since 1992. A questionnaire study was conducted to gain information about the role of peacekeepers in this new kind of UN mission. The study includes data from four Swedish mechanized infantry battalions, which were deployed in Bosnia for six months each, from autumn 1993 to autumn 1995. The questionnaire was completed by a total of 3,505 persons in connection with the Swedish UN personnel demobilization procedures. This article presents some of their views and experiences and discusses these in relation to the role of peacekeepers in the 1990s.

Swedish UN soldiers in Cyprus, UNFICYP: their psychological and social situation.

Two Swedish rifle batallions serving as UN soldiers in Cyprus (UNFICYP) have been investigated with respect to their demographic background and motives for application for UN service. The comparison of symptoms of stress in general, of posttraumatic stress disorder specifically, and some other variables of reaction with various studies of Swedish UN soldiers in different settings has given the following results. Very few interviewees experienced 'personal nervous breakdown' (0.5%). The soldiers reported in general very few psychological or psychosomatic complaints in the short time perspective. There seemed, however, to be two groups of persons at risk, namely those who were repatriated and those with a high consumption of alcohol.

Mental adjustment of Swedish UN soldiers in South Lebanon in 1988

AbstractA study of mental adjustment was carried out by means of a questionnaire at a Swedish UN logistic battalion in south Lebanon at the end of its period of service. The results showed a general good adjustment with no great variations between different subgroups. A rather high proportion of the respondents reported the service as being monotonous. Compared with earlier studies, a higher proportion of stress symptoms was found. It is possible that this could have been caused by differences in selection and service conditions.

Stress reactions among Swedish health care personnel in unifil, South Lebanon 1982–1984

AbstractSince 1948 almost 50,000 Swedish men and women have been in military UN service in more than 15 countries under very different circumstances. The stress situation for UN soldiers is quite different form soldiers in other military situations. The UN soldier might be scared by his own aggressiveness, because of his limited opportunities to use his weapons. The mission for the UNIFIL hospital in Naqoura, a few kilometres north of the Israeli border, is to provide the UN forces (5000–6000 soldiers) with hospital care and specialized medical services. Three contingents (N = 421) during three years have been studied by means of, questionnaires, self‐rating scales, a personality inventory test (KSP) and personal interviews. The personal interviews were structured and performed during the last mouth of service for each contingent. The UN soldiers were interviewed by six experienced psychiatrists, who were all well acquainted with the Swedish military system. All the interviews took place within the Swedish UN hospital area in south Lebanon, during one week for each group.

Rift Valley fever virus vaccine trial: study of neutralizing antibody response in humans

The serological response to immunization with a formalin inactivated Rift Valley fever (RVF) vaccine was studied in 963 Swedish UN soldiers serving in the Sinai peninsula. Antibody titres were determined with a plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT). Attempts were made to give all soldiers three injections (1 ml s.c. days 0, 7–10 and 28–30) but 128 soldiers received only two injections. In a group of 51 fully vaccinated individuals, repeated blood samples were collected. Fifty of the vaccinees seroconverted. Serum collected six weeks after the first vaccination revealed the highest antibody titres. The geometric mean titre then decreased rapidly during the following two weeks. Six months after vaccination sera were collected from 433 vaccinees who had received three injections and 379 had antibodies detectable by PRNT (88% PRNT ⩾ 10). The corresponding figures one and two years after vaccination were 223 seropositives out of 255 (91% PRNT ⩾ 10) and 91 out of 123 (74% PRNT ⩾ 10), respectively. Multiple stepwise regression showed that three injections gave a better antibody response than two injections. This analysis also showed that the magnitude of the antibody response was reduced with increasing age. Slight, local and general side effects were reported in 6% of the vaccinees and these reactions occurred in individuals with relatively higher antibody response.

An Outbreak of Coxsackievirus B Infection Followed by One Case of Diabetes Mellitus

AbstractDuring the fall of 1979, 22/250 Swedish UN soldiers serving in Egypt were hospitalized with fever and gastroenteritis associated with aseptic meningitis. One of the 22 developed insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) 10 weeks following the infection. The majority of the 22 patients showed significant titer rise for coxsackievirus B by plaque reduction neutralization test. The serology results indicate that coxsackievirus B4 most likely caused the outbreak. All 22 were also tested for islet cell cytoplasmic antibodies and islet cell surface antibodies and found negative. The individual developing diabetes mellitus had the HLA-DR phenotype 3,4, which is associated with IDDM.

Clinical and Subclinical Hepatitis a Occurring after Immunoglobulin Prophylaxis among Swedish UN Soldiers in Sinai

This study was performed to investigate the efficiency of 5 ml of 16.5% immunoglobulin (Ig) with an antibody titer against hepatitis A (anti-HAV) of 1:4000, using the HAVAB RIA technique, as pre-infection prophylaxis in 610 Swedish UN soldiers stationed in Sinai for 6 months. Sera were collected from 553 of these soldiers before, during, and after their service and were tested by the HAVAB technique for anti-HAV. Only 13 of 553 (2.4%) were immune before their service. During the first 5 months in Sinai, only one subclinical case of hepatitis A occurred among the men. Thereafter, two subclinical and four clinical cases occurred, although one of the subclinical cases and the four clinical ones did not occur until after the 6-month period. Thus, the Ig prophylaxis scheme used seems to offer almost complete passive protection for 5 months.

Immunoglobulin prophylaxis against hepatitis A among Swedish UN soldiers in an endemic region.

Six hundred and fifteen Swedish soldiers (X = 24.9 years) serving with the UN forces in Cyprus were tested for antibody against hepatitis A (anti-HAV) before and after six months' service. Before the service, a high susceptibility to hepatitis A was found, as only 2.3% (14/615) had anti-HAV. In comparison, the prevalence of anti-HAV among 124 native Cypriots (X = 23.9 years) was 97% (120/124), which showed Cyprus to be a region where hepatitis A is endemic. The soliders were given immunoglobulin (IG) prophylaxis (2 ml of 16.5% IG) against hepatitis A very third month. The incidence of subclinical seroconversion against hepatitis A among the Swedish soliders was 0.2% (1/615). It was concluded that the IG-prophylaxis scheme used seems to be highly effective and probably completely prevents even subclinical seroconversion against hepatitis A in non-immune persons in regions where hepatitis A is endemic.

Serum Q fever antibodies in Swedish UN soldiers in Cyprus--reflecting a domestic or foreign disease?

Swedish soldiers from 2 battalions serving in Cyprus 1975 and 1976 were tested serologically for Coxiella burnetii phase 2 complement-fixing antibodies. 2.7% were positive. Although none of the seropositive soldiers had been seriously ill abroad, the titers are considered to emanate from an infection in Cyprus as there is no evidence of domestic Q fever from a survey of 1390 Swedes.

Enterotoxin-producing bacteria in stools from Swedish United Nations Soldiers in Cyprus

A study was designed to establish the role of heat-labile enterotoxin producing Escherichia coli and other intestinal pathogens in diarrhoeal disease in Swedish soldiers of the United Nations' Force in Cyprus. Before leaving Sweden for Cyprus, no enteropathogens were isolated from the soldiers. The study was performed from October 1975 through January 1976 and in August 1976. Enterotoxigenic strains of E. coli, Citrobacter freundii, Enterobacter cloacae and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the intestinal pathogens most frequently isolated from the cases of diarrhoea. Such strains were found in 14 of 79 diarrhoeal cases (18%) but also in 6 of 66 (9%) of next-bed-fellow controls and in 7 of 139 (5%) of healthy Cypriotic civilians. Few other pathogens were identified in the soldiers, but 9 of 139 (6%) of the Cypriots were carriers of cysts of Giardia lamblia. The results indicate that enterotoxigenic bacteria were probably the most important cause of diarrhoea of those agents identified among the Swedish UN soldiers on Cyprus. Several soldiers were colonized with these strains without contracting diarrhoea.

United Nations Peace-Keeping Operations—Higher Conduct, Some Principles for Peace-Keeping Operations—A Guide for Senior Officers, Military Staffing at UN Headquarters for Peace-Keeping Operations—A Proposal, The Swedish UN Stand-By Force and Experience, Research on Peace-Keeping Operations—Current Status and Future Needs and Peace-Keeping Operations: A Bibliography. Prepared by Albert Legault

United Nations Peace-Keeping Operations—Higher Conduct, Some Principles for Peace-Keeping Operations—A Guide for Senior Officers, Military Staffing at UN Headquarters for Peace-Keeping Operations—A Proposal, The Swedish UN Stand-By Force and Experience, Research on Peace-Keeping Operations—Current Status and Future Needs and Peace-Keeping Operations: A Bibliography. Prepared by Albert Legault