One of the earliest and longest running United Nations missions, UNMOGIP was set up to manage the ceasefire after fighting broke out between India and Pakistan when the State of Kashmir acceded to India following partition in 1947.
The mission began on the 24th of January 1949, with the UN observers tasked with supervising the ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir, established in the Karachi Agreement (1949). However, there was a renewal of hostilities between the two nations along the border of East Pakistan in 1971, related to the movement for the independence of Bangladesh. A new ceasefire was established on 17 December 1971 with, India and Pakistan agreeing to a Line of Control in Kashmir in 1972 that followed fairly closely the ceasefire line established in 1949.
Although India believed that UNMOGIP's mandate ended when the Karachi Agreement was superceded by the new line drawn in 1972, Pakistan did not. This has meant that UNMOGIP can only be terminated by a UN Security Council decision. As no decision has been reached, UNMOGIP continues to observe the ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
While Pakistan has repeatedly alleged violations of the ceasefire with UNMOGIP, India has made no complaints since 1972 but has also restricted UN observations on the Indian side of the line.
Notably, an Australian, Lieutenant General Robert Nimmo was to be its first longest serving and most highly regarded Commander, from 1950 until his death in 1966. It is a UN record that is unlikely to be broken. SEE LINK (/explore/people/617220)
Austrlian involvement peaked at 18 observers. Australia withdrew in 1985 when it felt that it was over-committed to UN operations with planning underway for involvment in SW Africa (Namibia)
For more information click here (www.un.org).
Showing 2 people of interest from campaign
Service number 4400006
Major
Born 23 Dec 1923
Service number QX23797
Lieutenant General
Staff Corps
Australian Army (Post WW2)
Born 22 Nov 1893
