| Multinational Force and Observers | |
|---|---|
 MFO Flag | |
| Founded | August 3, 1981 |
| Countries | SeeContributing states |
| Allegiance | peacekeeping force backed by Egypt, Israel, and the United States |
| Type | Multinational force |
| Role | Combined operations |
| Nickname | MFO |
| Website | http://mfo.org/en |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Major GeneralMichael Garraway (AUS)[1] |
TheMultinational Force and Observers (MFO) is an internationalpeacekeeping force overseeing the terms of the peace treaty betweenEgypt andIsrael. The MFO generally operates in and around theSinai peninsula, ensuring free navigation through theStraits of Tiran and theGulf of Aqaba, and compliance with the other terms of theEgypt–Israel peace treaty.
On September 17, 1978, theCamp David Accords were signed by Israeli Prime MinisterMenachem Begin and Egyptian PresidentAnwar Sadat under the sponsorship of United States PresidentJimmy Carter. The accords provided for a full Israeli withdrawal from Sinai.
Following the signing of theEgypt–Israel peace treaty on March 26, 1979, theUnited Nations was asked to provide the peacekeeping forces for the Sinai Peninsula mandated in the treaty. The terms of the treaty required the presence of international peacekeepers to ensure that both Israel and Egypt kept to the provisions regarding military build-up along the border.[2]
Initially, the peacekeeping force was provided by the U.S.Sinai Field Mission, while efforts were made to create a UN force.
On May 18, 1981, the President of theUN Security Council indicated that the UN would be unable to provide the force, due to the threat of a veto of the motion by theUSSR at the request ofSyria.[3]
As a result of the UN Security Council impasse, Egypt, Israel and the United States opened negotiations to set up a peacekeeping organization outside the framework of the UN. On August 3, 1981, the Protocol to the Treaty of Peace was signed, establishing the Multinational Force and Observers.[2]
From 2012 to 2016, the MFO's North Camp was under threat fromIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Sinai Province attacks and also "experienced periods of water and fuel shortages, and a near-total cut-off of internet access and mobile and landline phones during persistent Egyptian military operations."[4] By September 2016, the MFO's northern camp was reorganized, with duties not related to observer responsibilities allocated to the south.[4] 75 US soldiers were deployed with new communications equipment to bolster the MFO's manpower.[5] The camps are reinforced with smart fences, more surveillance cameras and optics.
The mission of the MFO is:
"... to supervise the implementation of the security provisions of the Egyptian–Israeli Treaty of Peace and employ best efforts to prevent any violation of its terms."[6]
This is accomplished by carrying out four tasks:
Over the four decades that the MFO has carried out its mission, it has proven a highly successful force. The desire for peace on the part of both Egypt and Israel, combined with the effectiveness of the MFO, has resulted in a durable and lasting state of peace between these two nations.[7]
The MFO has its main headquarters inRome, where it is headed by theDirector-General. It also has two regional offices, inTel Aviv andCairo, while the Force itself is based in Zone C on the Sinai Peninsula, under the command of theForce Commander.
The Force Commander is responsible for the military elements of the MFO, which comprise:[8]
The Observer contingent of the MFO is made up entirely of US civilians.[9] The observers are either seconded from the US State Department or retired US military personnel.[10][11]
As of October 2025, 14 states are contributing troops.
| State | Strength[12] |
|---|---|
 Albania | 3 |
 Australia | 29 |
 Canada | 39 |
 Colombia | 275 |
 Czech Republic | 17 |
 Fiji | 170 |
 Italy | 78 |
 Japan | 4 |
 New Zealand | 28 |
 Norway | 3 |
 Serbia | 10 |
 United Kingdom | 2 |
 United States(Task Force Sinai) | 465 |
 Uruguay | 41 |
| Total troops: | 1,165 |
France: Withdrew contingent in 2024.
Hungary: Withdrew contingent in 2015 due to financial concerns.[13]
Netherlands: Withdrew contingent in 1995.[14] Withdrew again in 2015.ColonelSitiveni Rabuka was appointed as Commanding Officer of theFijian MFO contingent. After serving a two-year posting in the Sinai Colonel Rabuka returned to Fiji in 1985 to plan and stage a bloodless militarycoup which toppled the elected Fijian government on 14 May 1987.[15]
MFO Director-GeneralLeamon Hunt wasassassinated inRome, Italy, while sitting in his chauffeur-driven armored car, outside the gates of his private residence. The assassins poured automatic weapon fire into the reinforced rear window until they were able to penetrate the glass and strike the director-general in the head. Responsibility for the assassination was claimed byLebanese Armed Revolutionary Faction and theRed Brigade.[16]
Due to the imminent end of the four-year Australian MFO commitment in April 1986, the governments of Israel, Egypt, and the United States invitedCanada to provide a contingent. Canada agreed to replace Australia in the MFO and to supply a helicopter squadron, staff officers and a flight-following section ofair traffic controllers totalling 136 military personnel. The Canadian Contingent (CCMFO), operating under Operation Calumet,[17] was brought on strength of theCanadian Forces on September 26, 1985.[18]
On December 12, 1985, a charteredArrow AirDC-8 with 248 returning members of the U.S.101st Airborne Division and eight flight crew crashed into the cold, damp landscape at the end of runway 22 atGander International Airport inGander, Newfoundland, with no survivors. The 101st was rotating home from a tour of duty with the MFO. The accepted theory is that the crash was caused by ice accumulation on the leading surfaces of the wings, but debate and speculation still rages that the crash may have resulted from some type of incendiary device placed on the plane.[19]
The Australian contingent, consisting of staff officers and a helicopter squadron who were members of the initial deployment, withdrew in the course of their government's reduction of its peacekeeping commitments. They were replaced by the CCMFO Canadian Rotary Wing Aviation Unit, equipped with nineCH135 Twin Hueys, staff officers and flight following. The CCMFO was operational at El Gorah on March 31, 1986. Canadian tactical helicopter units rotated to El Gorah for six-month tours of duty. The primary units providing military personnel were408,427 and 430 Tactical Helicopter Squadrons and403 Squadron Helicopter Operational Training Squadron.[20]
The Australians, who had been replaced by a British contingent, returned to the mission, and the British contingent withdrew.[21] Lieutenant ColonelMartin Hamilton-Smith was the first contingent commander of the returning Australians. He went on to become a South Australian politician after his military career.[22]
Australian MFO contingent members were involved in a hit-and-run accident that they failed to report. The incident[23][24][25][26][27][28] came to light when one of the vehicle passengers, army Staff Sergeant David Hartshorn, reported it after he had been returned to Australia.Prima facie evidence of the incident was established and included in a formal inquiry by the Australian government in 2004.[29] In an article by News Limited Network journalistIan McPhedran on 30 August 2012, former Staff Sergeant David Hartshorn has received an apology from former Australian Army Chief Lieutenant GeneralDavid Morrison and Inspector General of the Australian Defence Force Mr Geoff Earley for being ordered not to report the hit and run accident.[30]
The2nd Battalion, 153rd Infantry Regiment of theArkansas National Guard become the first National Guard unit to deploy to Task Force Sinai as part ofOperation Noble Eagle. They relieved the2-87th Infantry of the10th Mountain Division based atFort Drum, NY.[31]
AFrench Air Forcede Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft on duty with the MFO Fixed Wing Aviation Unit crashed in the middle of the peninsula, 80 kilometres (50 mi) south of the town ofNakhl. All passengers and crew were serving members of the MFO, eight French and one Canadian, and all were killed. The aircraft reported trouble with one engine and was attempting an emergency landing on a highway when it struck a truck. It crashed and exploded moments later. The driver of the truck escaped unharmed.[32]
Dozens of armed militants attacked North Camp on Friday 14 September 2012, breaking down a wall of the facility housing the MFO headquarters, setting fire to vehicles and facilities. MFO soldiers defended the base and there was an exchange of fire. Four MFO members were reportedly wounded.[33][34][35]
Parts of the MFO view cutbacks of the military aid from United States to Egypt as negative for the stability in Sinai, as the military government had hit militants hard.[36]
MFO held a swearing-in ceremony to welcome the new Force Commander of MFO, Major-General Denis Thompson ofCanada, formerly the Commander ofCANSOFCOM.[37]
The Canadian contingent added 30 Canadian military police officers as part of the MFO Military Police Unit. This commitment lasted four years, until March 2019.[38]
The Hungarian contingent withdrew from the Sinai, wrapping up their 20-year mission.[39]
9 Parachute Squadron RE of theBritish Army deployed from February to April 2016[40] under Operation Branta.[41] The Engineer Squadron improved the force protection infrastructure of the camp, including the construction of 16km of defensive walls.[40]
Australian Major GeneralSimon Stuart assumes command of the MFO, replacing Major-General Denis Thompson from Canada.[42]
A visit was made to the MFO by Kentaro Sonoura, Special Advisor to Japanese Prime Minister Abe, as part of considering contributingJSDF personnel to the MFO.[43]
The Canadian contingent completed four years of support with the Military Police Unit, including commending that unit. The Canadian commitment switched to providing 55 Canadian Forces personnel as senior advisors, headquarters staff, as well as experts in remote observation, logistics support, military engineering, policing and training.[38]
The JSDF has dispatched personnel to the MFO.[44][45]
Seven MFO members (five U.S., one Czech, and one French) died in an MFOUH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crash nearSharm El Sheikh. An American peacekeeper was wounded in the crash and evacuated by Israeli search and rescue soldiers from Air Force Unit 669 to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, Israel.[46][47]
Albanian troops are deployed to participate in the MFO.[48]
Tokyo extends mission in the MFO with four JGSDF officers working until 2024.[49]
Serbia deploys an engineering unit to the MFO.[50]
Article 2 of Annex I of the Peace Treaty called for the Sinai Peninsula to be divided into zones. Within these zones, Egypt and Israel were permitted varying degrees of military buildup:
Within Zone C there are two main installations:
In addition there are thirty smaller sites at various points within Zone C. One remote observation post (OP 3-11) is located offshore onTiran Island, requiring resupply by air or sea.
Zone C is subdivided into sectors, each controlled by a Sector Control Center. The sectors are numbered from north to south, with an infantry battalion assigned to a pair of consecutively numbered sectors:
Maintaining a good quality of life for MFO members in the Sinai is difficult, due to the remoteness and desolation of the region as well as more recent security concerns. Gym facilities, clubs, medical facilities, libraries and exchanges are provided at both North Camp and South Camp.[54] In addition, North Camp possesses a pool while South Camp boasts Herb's Beach, a section of the Red Sea coastline where it is possible to snorkel just a few feet into the water and see a variety of tropical fish.
The Force has its own magazine, the bimonthly and bilingualSandpaper. Published in English and Spanish it is produced by the Press and Visits Office.[55]Sporting events are held at both camps. Members are encouraged to take visits to Israel and Egypt, usually in organized trips. There are also trips to Mount Sinai, Luxor, Cairo, Jerusalem, and other sites within Egypt and Israel. A television and radio system also service North Camp and South Camp.[54]
There are venues for live shows at both camps and the U.S. organizationArmed Forces Entertainment provides a variety of bands, dancers and other acts to keep the troops entertained.
At remote observation sites, which might house only a dozen peacekeepers, the quality of life is harder to maintain. During tours at remote sites peacekeepers have limited access to the internet, are provided with workout equipment, and are permitted to have pets. Pets are not allowed at the main camps, even though a veterinarian is available to maintain the health of the animals, which are almost always dogs.
After the original inception of the MFO, routine travel toal-Arish,Sharm El Sheikh and a beach facility near theGaza Strip were restful getaways but recent security concerns over possibleHamas activity has changed that. Similarly, a bicycle competition known as theTour de Sinai which had begun in 1985 had gone by the wayside in recent years.[56]
| No. | Name | Nationality | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lieutenant General Frederick Bull-Hansen[57] | Norway | 1982 | 1984 |
| 2 | Lieutenant General Egil Ingebrigsten[57] | Norway | 1984 | March 1989 |
| 3 | Lieutenant GeneralDonald McIver[58] | New Zealand | March 1989 | March 1991 |
| 4 | Lieutenant General J.W.C. van Ginkel[59] | Netherlands | 11 April 1991 | 21 April 1994 |
| 5 | Major General David Ferguson[60] | Australia | 21 April 1994 | 10 April 1997 |
| 6 | Major General Tryggve Tellefsen[57] | Norway | 1997 | March 2001 |
| 7 | Major General Robert Meating[61] | Canada | March 2001 | March 2004 |
| 8 | Major General Roberto Martinelli[62] | Italy | March 2004 | 2007 |
| 9 | Major General Kjell Ludvigsen[57] | Norway | 2007 | March 2010 |
| 10 | Major General Warren Whiting[58] | New Zealand | March 2010 | March 2014 |
| 11 | Major General Denis Thompson[63][61] | Canada | March 2014 | 1 March 2017 |
| 12 | Major GeneralSimon Stuart[60] | Australia | 1 March 2017 | 1 December 2019 |
| 13 | Major General Evan Williams[58] | New Zealand | 1 December 2019 | 5 March 2023 |
| 14 | Major General Pavel Kolář[64] | Czech Republic | 5 March 2023 | 25 September 2023 |
| 13* | Major General Evan Williams[58] | New Zealand | 25 September 2023 | 17 March 2024 |
| 15 | Major GeneralMichael Garraway[65] | Australia | 17 March 2024 | Incumbent |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
