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From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Mon Oct 25 2010 - 06:27:37 EDT
Tension over poor peace force support
TENSION arising from the UN Security Council's reliance on African nations
to supply peacekeepers has come into sharper focus as diplomats
JOHN HEILPRIN
Published: 2010/10/25 07:26:11 AM
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. Sapa-AP
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