Overview

Overview:

The Military Observer Mission Ecuador - Peru (MOMEP) was an international peacekeeping force established to oversee the cease-fire agreement that ended a brief 1995 border conflict between Ecuador and Peru. With the border dispute resolved in October 1998, the United States set a final withdrawal date of June 30, 1999 for the U.S. military personnel who had served as part of the mission.

MOMEP, which included personnel from the United States, Argentina, Brazil and Chile, was "conceived and implemented by U.S. Southern Command," according to a Pentagon publication.¹ The mission was fully funded by Peru and Ecuador. The peacekeepers' presence allowed 5,000 Ecuadorian and Peruvian troops to vacate the zone of conflict.

"Operation Safe Border" was the name given to the U.S. Southern Command (Southcom) military contingent participating in MOMEP. The operation was the first use of U.S. special forces in a multi-national observer mission in South America.²

In December 1997, Southcom had transferred most MOMEP support responsibilities to Brazil, Chile and Argentina. By mid-January 1998, Operation Safe Border (the U.S. contingent) was reduced from 62 to 21 people.³

Southcom Commander-in-Chief Gen. Charles Wilhelm told Congress in March 1998, "I believe MOMEP serves as a model for future peacekeeping situations as the U.S. transitions to a guiding vice leading role."⁴

Other sites:

• "Operations in South America." From U.S. Army Training and Operations Update, May 4, 1998. [Scroll down to read.]

Sources:

² Shelton.

^{3 "}U.S. Army Training and Operations Update," Armylink News (Washington: U.S. Army, March 4, 1998) April 1998 <http://www.dtic.mil/armylink/news/Jan1998/r19980108update.html>.

⁴ United States Southern Command, Statement of General Charles E. Wilhelm, USMC, Commander in Chief, before the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, Subcommittee on National Security, International Affairs, and Criminal Justice, House of Representatives, March 12, 1998: 9.