TENSION arising from the UN Security Council’s reliance on African nations to supply peacekeepers has come into sharper focus as diplomats
JOHN HEILPRIN
Monday, October 25, 2010
TENSION arising from the United Nations (UN) Security Council’s reliance on African nations to supply peacekeepers has come into sharper focus as diplomats, UN and African Union (AU) officials sparred over how to stretch their resources to meet the boom in peacekeeping.
A report on Friday from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon emphasised the increasing role of AU peacekeeping. Whether the missions are led by UN or AU forces, African conflicts occupy about 70% of the security council’s usual monthly agenda.
Behind the recurring theme of ever-increasing co-operation among UN and AU operations, African leaders and AU officials disclosed their uneasiness with a system that, in their view, often leaves their troops unable to do their jobs properly.
“Too frequently, AU member states are able to muster sufficient troop numbers to address crisis situations, only to have lack of equipment and logistical support let them down,” Nigeria’s foreign minister, Henry Odein Ajumogobia, told the 15-nation council.
“Invariably, these matters are also on the agenda of the AU, which is frequently called upon to respond,” Mr Ajumogobia said. “Yet, at best, the AU is but a cog in the wheel of our collective security system facing multiple demands to deploy, mediate or support post- conflict peace processes across a vast continent. These demands upon the AU far outweigh its resources and capacities to effectively respond.”
The UN has almost 124000 personnel serving on 16 peace operations led by its department of peacekeeping operations on four continents — a ninefold increase in peacekeepers since 1999. Add to these a number of AU-led missions in places such as Somalia, and it is clear the UN is more dependent than ever on AU peacekeepers.
“As we all know, these relationships have yet to reach their full potential,” Mr Ban told the council. “Building capacity is only part of the picture. The AU continues to face difficulties in securing the necessary resources to support its peacekeeping undertakings. Darfur and Somalia illustrate this clearly.”
Mr Ban said that AU peacekeeping operations “should receive the same support as all UN peacekeepers, including reimbursement. By the same token, AU peacekeepers should uphold the same professional standards as UN personnel.”
Dozens of peacekeepers have been punished in the past few years, ranging from reduction in rank to imprisonment, for sexual abuses during UN missions.
UN missions have been dogged by allegations of sexual exploitation and in a few cases gun-running for a half-century, with abuses reported from Bosnia and Kosovo to Cambodia, East Timor, West Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
At a mini summit on the sidelines of last month’s UN General Assembly ministerial meeting, AU chairman Jean Ping appealed for funds to increase the UN-authorised, AU-led force in Somalia from the current 8000 maximum to 20000, saying the troops were available but money was needed to pay and equip them.
Source: AP