Birth name Ulf Hugo Henricsson Years of service 1969–2002 Other name "Sheriff of Vareš" | Nickname(s) "Sheriff of Vareš" Other work Head of SLMM | |
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Born 1 February 1942 (age 75) ( 1942-02-01 ) Rank Brigadier (Överste 1.gr) | ||
Ulf Hugo Henricsson (born 1 February 1942) is a former Swedish officer. He is best known for his achievements in the Bosnian War as commander of the peacekeeping operations from September 1993 to April 1994. There he commanded the Nordic battalion (Nordbat 2) which was a part of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR).
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Early career
Henricsson became an officer in the Swedish Army in 1969 and worked as general staff officer for six years. He was then promoted to battalion commander. Henricsson worked with the Swedish tank programme for several years before being promoted to brigade commander in 1991.
Bosnian War
During September 1993 to April 1994 he served as commanding officer of the Nordic battalion (Nordbat 2), part of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), which consisted of the first Swedish battalion (BA01) to be deployed in Yugoslavia during the Bosnian War. The battalion consisted of 840 soldiers in three mechanized infantry companies and one staff and tross company. Together with a Danish tank company (DANSQN) and a Norwegian field hospital (NORMEDCOY), it formed the battalion Nordbat 2. The battalion headquarters was in Živinice outside Tuzla. Its area of responsibility started north in the Posavina corridor 10 kilometres south of Brčko, to some 10 kilometres south of Vareš in central Bosnia.
Henricsson and his soldiers became known for redrawing the rules of international peacekeeping by aggressively protecting civilians, tactics not popular among U.N. officials. His robust approach impressed his UNPROFOR commander Michael Rose, the press corps, his Danish colleagues in Nordbat 2 and the local parties. At home, his robust approach did not go down well with the traditionalists, who accused the Swedish contingent of being trigger-happy and too aggressive. The result on the ground proved the critics wrong, however, and Henricsson's approach was eventually codified in the Swedish peace support operations doctrine published in 1997.
In Vareš, Henricsson and his soldiers saved the lives of 200 men and boys detained in a school. After his deployment in Bosnia, Henricsson got a school in Vareš named after him because of his actions. On 2 April 1996, Henricsson testified against Ivica Rajić in the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia for his involvement in the Stupni Do massacre.
Later career
Henricsson commanded the Södermanland Brigade from 1995 to 1996 and was commander of the Eastern Army Division from 1994 to 2000. He was head of the OSSE Department for Regional Stabilisation in Sarajevo from 1999 to 2001. Since 2002, brigadier Henricsson has been head of the Department of Leadership and Management at the Swedish Defence University. On 22 February 2006, Henricsson was appointed as the new head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission effective from 1 April 2006, replacing Brigadier Hagrup Haukland. He left the position on 1 September 2006.
Other work
Henricsson has appeared in TV3's television programme Grannfejden as mediator as well as in TV8's Nyhetsfajten.
Henricsson became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences in 1996. He is also a board member of Södertälje Hospital.