1960: The First UN Foreign Mission of the Austrian Armed Forces (in the Congo)

International peace operations are missions designed to stabilise crisis regions, mostly under the auspices of the United Nations (UN). Because the soldiers and police in these missions wear blue headgear, they are also referred to as the “Blue Helmets”.

Austria first participated in a UN peace operation in 1960 in the then Belgian Congo. Commitment to international organisations is an important aspect of the “policy of active neutrality”, which the long-term foreign minister (and eventual chancellor) Bruno Kreisky created as a guideline for Austria’s foreign policy.

In December 1960, Austria sent a medical contingent made up of about 50 people to Bukavu in eastern Congo in order to set up a hospital for UN troops. This contingent was captured soon after arriving – as alleged “Belgians” – and had to be freed by a Nigerian UN contingent (a Nigerian and several Congolese died in the process). Because the equipment was lost, the contingent was used for refugee care in the province of Kasai until June 1961. Between July 1961 and September 1963, four additional contingents were in the Congo, where they operated hospitals for UN members and the civilian population: in Kamina, Stanleyville (today Kisangani), Kindu and Luluabourg (Kananga). In total, there were 166 people (of which 2 were women) deployed in Congo between 1960 and 1963. 142 of these 166 volunteers were members of the Armed Forces.

Since 1960, Austria has participated in over 100 international missions with more than 100,000 soldiers, police officers, and civilian experts; this has made Austria more visible in global politics and has given valuable experiences to the Armed Forces as well as other Austrian institutions.