The Norwegian government, which is responsible for monitoring of Sri Lanka’s ceasefire said this week that its staff were withdrawing from the embattled Northeastern districts to the capitol, Colombo.
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), comprising staff from Nordic countries, is to lose many of its members at the end of the month: the LTTE has refused to accept monitors from countries that have proscribed the group.
Staff from Sweden, Finland and Denmark are being withdrawn, including SLMM head, Maj. Gen. (retd) Ulf Henricssion, who is Swedish.
The next head of the international ceasefire monitors in Sri Lanka is former Norwegian Army chief, Maj. Gen. Lars Johan Sølvberg. Maj. Gen. Sølvberg will take over from Maj. Gen. Henricsson at the end of the month.
“Swedish, Finnish and Danish members of the SLMM are due to leave by the end of August, as the LTTE will not accept EU nationals as monitors after 1 September,” a Norwegian government statement said.
“The gradual withdrawal of these 39 monitors (out of a total contingent of 57) has begun. Norwegian and Icelandic monitors will remain in Sri Lanka, and their number will gradually be increased to 30 when the ground situation permits and demands such an increase.”
“It is envisaged that additional monitors from other countries will be invited later,” the Norwegian statement also said.
Explaining the decision to pull even the Norwegian and Icelandic staff from the Northeast, the Norwegian embassy said: “At the moment, intensive military operations and fighting are taking place in several locations in the North and East. The parties are restricting the SLMM’s access to combat areas.”
“As a result, the Head of Mission, Major General Henricsson, has decided to regroup the international monitors in Colombo temporarily.”
“This will allow the SLMM to focus its full attention on ensuring that the scaled-down mission is safely and securely re-organised under new Norwegian and Icelandic leadership.”
“Norwegian and Icelandic monitors will be redeployed to the district offices as soon as the personnel is ready and the situation in each district permits the resumption of secure field monitoring.”
The new SLMM head, Maj. Gen. Sølvberg, 54, retired from the post of Chief of Staff of the Norwegian Army in 2005. Prior to that he headed the Army’s 6th Division for four years. He is credited with a key role in the Army transformation process over the past decade.
He has commanded an infantry brigade, a mechanised infantry brigade, a tank squadran as well as holding staff positions at all levels.
He is a graduate of the US Army War College (1998) and the US Army Command and General Staff College (1991), the Norwegian Army General Staff College (1988) and the Norwegian Military Academy (1977).
Since retiring, he has established a consultancy in Oslo.
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), comprising staff from Nordic countries, is to lose many of its members at the end of the month: the LTTE has refused to accept monitors from countries that have proscribed the group.
Staff from Sweden, Finland and Denmark are being withdrawn, including SLMM head, Maj. Gen. (retd) Ulf Henricssion, who is Swedish.
The next head of the international ceasefire monitors in Sri Lanka is former Norwegian Army chief, Maj. Gen. Lars Johan Sølvberg. Maj. Gen. Sølvberg will take over from Maj. Gen. Henricsson at the end of the month.
“Swedish, Finnish and Danish members of the SLMM are due to leave by the end of August, as the LTTE will not accept EU nationals as monitors after 1 September,” a Norwegian government statement said.
“The gradual withdrawal of these 39 monitors (out of a total contingent of 57) has begun. Norwegian and Icelandic monitors will remain in Sri Lanka, and their number will gradually be increased to 30 when the ground situation permits and demands such an increase.”
“It is envisaged that additional monitors from other countries will be invited later,” the Norwegian statement also said.
Explaining the decision to pull even the Norwegian and Icelandic staff from the Northeast, the Norwegian embassy said: “At the moment, intensive military operations and fighting are taking place in several locations in the North and East. The parties are restricting the SLMM’s access to combat areas.”
“As a result, the Head of Mission, Major General Henricsson, has decided to regroup the international monitors in Colombo temporarily.”
“This will allow the SLMM to focus its full attention on ensuring that the scaled-down mission is safely and securely re-organised under new Norwegian and Icelandic leadership.”
“Norwegian and Icelandic monitors will be redeployed to the district offices as soon as the personnel is ready and the situation in each district permits the resumption of secure field monitoring.”
The new SLMM head, Maj. Gen. Sølvberg, 54, retired from the post of Chief of Staff of the Norwegian Army in 2005. Prior to that he headed the Army’s 6th Division for four years. He is credited with a key role in the Army transformation process over the past decade.
He has commanded an infantry brigade, a mechanised infantry brigade, a tank squadran as well as holding staff positions at all levels.
He is a graduate of the US Army War College (1998) and the US Army Command and General Staff College (1991), the Norwegian Army General Staff College (1988) and the Norwegian Military Academy (1977).
Since retiring, he has established a consultancy in Oslo.
