Bruno Loi

Last updated
Bruno Loi
Born (1941-08-23) 23 August 1941 (age 82)
AllegianceFlag of Italy.svg  Italy
Service/branch Coat of arms of the Esercito Italiano.svg Esercito Italiano
Years of service1960-2004
Rank Rank insignia of generale di corpo d'armata of the Army of Italy (1973).svg Lieutenant General
Commands held UNOSOM II
Battles/wars Checkpoint Pasta battle
Awards ITA OMRI 2001 GC BAR.svg Knight Grand Cross, OMRI
Ufficiale BAR.svg Officer, OMI
Us legion of merit officer rib.png Officer, Legion of Merit

Bruno Loi (born August 23, 1941) is a retired Italian Army lieutenant general, who served as commander of the Italian forces in UNOSOM II from May to September 1993. [1]

Contents

Career

Service in Somalia

Loi was infuriated as the result of an American operation in the Italian zone of control on June 22, 1993, since it took place without his permission. [2] Loi was the commanding officer for the Italian forces in the Battle of Checkpoint Pasta. [3] He later re-occupied Checkpoint Pasta after the battle, to do this he used diplomacy to persuade Somali general Mohamed Farrah Aidid to withdraw, annoying the United States, who viewed diplomacy as a waste of effort and advocated a forceful solution. [4] The United Nations asked Italy to remove Loi from his position in July on charges of insubordination, a request which Italy denied. [5] These incidents contributed to a considerable straining of relations between Italy and the rest of the United Nations peacekeeping force. [6] Loi served out the rest of his term as commander, returning to Italy in September. [6]

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References

  1. Tripodi, Paolo (August 2, 1999). The Colonial Legacy in Somalia: Rome and Mogadishu: from Colonial Administration to Operation Restore Hope. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 157. ISBN   978-0333763513.
  2. Rutherford, Kenneth (October 15, 2008). Humanitarianism Under Fire: The US and UN Intervention in Somalia. Lynne Riener. p. 144. ISBN   978-1565492608.
  3. Nigro, Vincenzo (July 5, 2013). "Somalia, la battaglia al check-point Pasta. Il racconto del generale Loi vent'anni dopo". Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  4. Young, Peter; Jesser, Peter (October 13, 2017). The Media and the Military. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 218. ISBN   978-0333719046.
  5. Clarke, Walter S.; Herbst, Jeffrey (March 7, 1997). Learning From Somalia: The Lessons Of Armed Humanitarian Intervention. Routledge. p. 143. ISBN   978-0813327945.
  6. 1 2 Woodhouse, Tom; Bruce, Robert; Dando, Malcolm (January 19, 1998). Peacekeeping and Peacemaking: Towards Effective Intervention in Post-Cold War Conflicts. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 176. ISBN   978-0333669228.