Operation SNOWGOOSE

Operation SNOWGOOSE is Canada's contribution to the United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), established by Security Council Resolution 186 on March 4, 1964 with a mandate to stop the periodic outbreaks of fighting between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities, and to contribute to the maintenance and restoration of law and order. After many changes over the years, the current mandate is to maintain the cease-fire agreement reached on August 16, 1974, restore normal conditions, and provide humanitarian aid. UNFICYP troops maintain a buffer zone between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot regions, supervise civilian activities in the buffer zone, investigate cease-fire violations, and help civilian humanitarian organizations go about their work.

From March 1964 until September 1993, Canada maintained a battalion-sized contingent of peacekeepers in UNFICYP, and 58 rotations comprising a total of about 25,000 Canadian Forces personnel served on the island. As of December 2008, UNFICYP’s 856 military personnel and 68 civilian police officers come from 20 countries. Canada contributes one officer to the Operations staff at UNFICYP headquarters in Nicosia.

The operation name Snowgoose dates from July 1974, when the Canadian contingent in UNFICYP — originally made up of 1 Commando, Canadian Airborne Regiment, and the Airborne Field Squadron (the combat engineer element of the Canadian Airborne Regiment) — was rapidly augmented by 2 Commando and 3 Commando in response to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus that began on July 20, 1974.