Over the period of 3 to 4 June 2023, the Czech Republic’s Deputy Minister of Defence, His Excellency František Šulc, accompanied by the Czech Armed Forces Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Karel Řehka, as well as representatives from the Czech Government and Senate visited the MFO’s South Camp in the Sinai.

The delegation met with MFO Force Commander, Major General Pavel Kolář, from the Czech Republic, and discussed the strategic importance of the mission for peace in the Middle East, as well as the Czech contribution to the mission since 2009. Both Mr. Šulc and LGen Řehka remarked on the significance of the Czech presence in the Middle East and the opportunity the MFO provides their armed forces to gain valuable experience in peacekeeping missions.

After receiving strategic briefings, the delegation paid their respects and lay flowers at the memorial to Captain Michaela Ticha, a Czech soldier who died in 2020 in a helicopter crash while serving in Sinai. They also met with Czech contingent members to learn more about their experience and tasks with the MFO.

The Czech Armed Forces currently deploy a contingent of twenty members in total, fifteen who support the C-295M CASA aircraft that forms part of the MFO‘s fixed wing aviation unit, as well as five officers who fulfill joint staff roles in support of the MFO.