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Wednesday morning, Gardermoen Military Airport. 07.00 hours are approaching. The temperature is around zero and it is snowing a little. Cold, wet gusts arrive from the airstrip, continue between the hangars, and higher up into the barracks area.
Ready to go, the Norwegian soldiers are lined up inside one of the hangars. They wear new desert uniforms. Only in mid-May will they be back on Norwegian soil.
The soldiers are heading to Mali. This will be the third time Norway has sent a military transport plane with crew and support personnel to the African desert country. The plane is a Hercules C-130J machine. The contingent is called NORTAD III.
Prepared for risk
The Norwegian force will remain in the Bifrost camp near the capital, Bamako. They will carry out transportation assignments throughout Mali.
Guards at Camp Bifrost near Bamako.
Photo: Armed Forces
It also involves traveling to dangerous areas outside the capital. Significant parts of the African desert land are controlled by rebel groups and jihadists.
– We are well prepared to handle a demanding security situation in parts of Mali. During the off-base landing, we will stay on the ground only for very short periods. We have our own security force on board and good access to intelligence information. We know well what the security situation in the country is like at all times, says Chief Sgt. Staale Granli.
Chief Sergeant Staale Granli goes to the UN service in Mali for the third time.
Photo: Armed Forces
This will be Granli’s third trip to Mali and the UN’s MINUSMA operation. The father of three is aware that it can be dangerous. There is a lot of frustration and aggression directed at foreign forces in Mali. It still feels safe. Camp Bifrost has a good guard and extensive security measures. The field has never been attacked.
The biggest threat to the Norwegian force will likely be when they move in traffic. In Mali, the traffic culture is relatively different from what you are used to in Norway.
It is important to continue the work for peace
Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world and has long been on the brink of collapse. Since 2013, a UN force made up of nearly 13,000 soldiers has tried to save the country from collapse.
At the same time, UN forces have been targeted by various rebel groups and the spleen. At least 227 UN soldiers have died in Mali since July 2013.
The dead Sri Lankan UN soldiers are being transported from a transport plane. Image is from February 2019.
Photo: DINUKA LIYANAWATTE / Reuters
When NRK visited the UN force in Mali in the spring of 2018, it was clear to UN teams that they expected increased losses in the future.
– We are exacerbated and we take the situation seriously. However, we are not characterized by fear or dread. This is a task we can handle, says Granli.
Hans Jørgen Nordskog is the head of the Norwegian UN force. Explain why the crews of the Armed Forces are sent back to Mali.
Force Commander Hans Jørgen Nordskog.
Photo: Armed Forces
– It is important that the peace process in Mali continues. Terrorist groups must not gain a foothold. Therefore, this is an important contribution from Norway. We have obligations to the UN, says Nordskog
The Norwegian force consists of between 80 and 90 soldiers. In addition to the Hercules plane crew, Norway has a guard and security force, medical personnel, logistics teams and its own intelligence officers. The Norwegians are also on duty at the UN headquarters in Bamako.
A Norwegian Hercules plane lands at Bamako International Airport. The photo is from the NORTAD I contingent and was taken in September 2016.
Photo: Armed Forces
The crown creates challenges
Before departure, the Norwegian force was kept in isolation for 14 days. All have been screened for heart disease. The pandemic and the risk of infection pose additional challenges for the Norwegian force.
– We are careful not to infect Mali. This means that we limit contact with the civilian population and other UN personnel, says Hans Jørgen Nordskog.
Nordskog says the corona pandemic also creates challenges for Norwegian force crews. Being on international missions for several months is difficult in the first place. Now it is not easier.
The Armed Forces have adopted strict measures to prevent the spread of coronary heart disease. The force going to Mali will try to enforce the measures. This image is from April 2020 and shows the crown tests of KNM Harald Haarfagre’s new recruits.
Photo: Armed Forces
– If something happens at home, there are completely extraordinary reasons why someone can leave the area of operations to go to Norway. The reason is that no one can be removed as a replacement due to the risk of infection. Of course, it’s an added strain knowing that you can’t go home even if you have to, says Nordskog.
The families of those now going to Mali are prepared for the fact that it can be difficult.
– Those who are left behind, children and spouses, know that if something happens at home, this time it will be different. It will be more difficult for those outside to reach Norway and family, explains Nordskog.
The Norwegian force will be in Mali until mid-May. The government has announced that Norway will continue to participate in the MINUSMA operation until 2022.
