UN praises Indian women police officers deployed in Liberia - Yahoo! India News

We posted earlier on the deployment of 125 Indian Para-military forces soliders to Liberia. Great to see that they are receiving well-deserved praise for their work:

'New York, Aug 19 (PTI) Indian women police officers - members of the first ever all female unit deployed by the UN - have come in for high praise from the world body's officials who commended their work in emergency situations as also in crime prevention in Liberia where they are posted.

As a mark of the appreciation, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative Alan Doss decorated the officers - who have also been praised for their unflinching support to the National Police in Liberia (NPL) - with the UN Peacekeeping Medals at an impressive ceremony in the Liberian capital, Monrovia.

"Though a new beginning for gender equality in peacekeeping, this deployment is a continuation of India's consistent commitment to peacekeeping operations," Doss said. "All of you standing here represent a proud tradition of service to international peace." Also present at the ceremony were Force Commander Lt Gen Chikadibia Isaac Obiakor, Director of Administration Stephen Lieberman, the Inspector-General of the Liberia National Police Beatrice Munah Sieh, UNPOL Acting Commissioner, General Maritz Du Toit; the Consul-General of India Upjit Singh Sachdeva and other Government officials.

The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) is currently assisting the NPL to attract more women into the police.'

Haiti- UN Peacekeeping Force Evolving to a Policing Role

In the lead-up to the UN Secretary General's visit, Haiti is getting some long-merited attention. This AP article takes a balanced look at the challenges facing peacekeeping and peacebuilding in the Haitian state.

Haiti is in a transitional phase, where it is out of immediate crisis, but where, 'The senior U.N. envoy to Haiti says it is too soon for the U.N. to consider withdrawing its 8,800-strong, Brazil-led peacekeeping force, noting past failed attempts to help the country... "An early withdrawal right now would be a big mistake, 'Big' with a capital letter," Edmond Mulet said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. "This is a time to hold on, to make this work this time."'

The challenge is that UN military peacekeepers are obliged to undertake what is essentially a policing function. '... the U.N. mission eventually hopes to use more civilian police than soldiers but is hampered by a world shortage of trained, French-speaking officers... The peacekeepers provide more than 80 percent of Haiti's security needs, but the government is working to eventually take over that responsibility. The national police academy is pumping out hundreds of recruits, trying bolster the nation's small police force of 6,000.'

Chronic poverty and gangs, drug-traffickers still pose a threat to real peace and stability in Haiti, with official suggesting that a UN force will be need until President Preval's term ends in 2011.

UN Investigations of various abuses by peacekeeping troops

The United Nations is investigating allegations of widespread sexual abuse and exploitation by peacekeepers serving in Ivory Coast. A UN statement said the latest allegations had been uncovered by an internal inquiry, and a full investigation was now under way.

While the accused contingent has not been named publicly, apparently the entire unit has been confined to base while the investigation continues.

In 2007 alone, there have been investigations into sexual abuse claims in the Sudan, Liberia, Haiti and Ivory Coast, and reports that sexual abuse allegations have doubled over 2006.

This new investigation follows on the heels of an ongoing probe of Indian peacekeepers stationed in eastern DRC, who allegedly were trafficking in gold and guns. The accusations suggested that the Indians were trading food rations for gold with Rwandan rebels.

Update: AlertNet stated the nationality of the suspended peacekeeping troops in Ivory Coast is Moroccan.

Lebanon- Peacekeeping with Hizballah's Help | TIME

TIME has an excellent piece on the challenges facing the relatively successful UNIFIL mission in Lebanon. The peacekeepers are apparently being forced to 'shake hands with the devil'- in order to improve their force protection, and reduce further threats from yet another metaphoric devil. The suggestion is that UNIFIL is obliged to maintain contacts with Hizbollah, in order to protect themselves from further Al-Qaeda attacks:

'The contingents comprising the peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL have good cause for concern. Last month, six Spanish and Colombian UNIFIL soldiers were killed in a bomb ambush, the deadliest attack against the peacekeeping mission in its 29-year history. In a video message released this week, Al-Qaeda deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahiri hailed the attack as "a response against those invading Crusader forces who were occupying a beloved part of the land of Islam". And, UNIFIL officials fear, given the worsening security situation in Lebanon, there could be more attacks on the way. "The major difficulty we are going to face for sure is this kind of terrorist attack because even if we have no idea yet who could be the perpetrators... another attack can come," Major General Claudio Graziano, UNIFIL's commander, told TIME in an interview at his headquarters in the southern coastal village of Naqoura.'


Whatever contacts may exist between UNIFIL and Hizbollah, there was also another roadside bomb that struck a peacekeeping vehicle, the second such incident in a month.

Kofi Annan Launches Global Humanitarian Forum

A formal announcement has finally been made concering the Global Humanitarian Forum, a new organization created by from UN Secretary General Kofi Annan with support from the Swiss Government. Based in Geneva, the Forum will help people in poor countries play a greater role in finding solutions to their developmental and humanitarian problems.

While the former SG is vague on precisely what the organization will do, he does provide one precise example of what they might do:

'For example, he says the United Nations and other members of the humanitarian community would not have been able to deal with natural disasters such as the Indian Ocean tsunami and the earthquake in Kashmir without the help of the military.

"If the military had not come in and provided heavy logistical support … many more people would have died as we would not have been able to get to them," said the former U.N. chief. "And, so the military have become important players in humanitarian relief. And, yet, when we get together to discuss humanitarian issues, they are not around, they are not at the table."

"I think we would want to bring them to the table to discuss with humanitarian actors how we could cooperate. And, from my own previous experience, I know it is not an easy relationship," he added.

Mr. Annan says he recognizes private aid groups are not comfortable working with the military. He says he hopes the Forum can improve this relationship.'

UN decides to split Department of Peacekeeping Operations

The United Nations General Assembly decided by consensus to split the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), creating a new Department of Field Support to look after management and logistic under the supervision of an Under-Secretary-General. The Peacekeeping Department will now concentrate on operations and will also be headed by an Under-Secretary-General.

'...Ban sees it [the splitting of DPKO] as an important part of the reforms process and asserts that it would increase the overall efficiency at a time when the world body is being asked to take on more and more responsibility of peacekeeping.'

UN and AU outline details of proposed hybrid peacekeeping force in Darfur

A joint press release of the UN and AU gave a broad introduction to the hybrid peacekeeping force that has been discussed over months. The full Security Council report is also available for download.

DPKO- Discipline for peacekeeping troops vital

Yesterday, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping operations, Jean-Marie Guehenno, talked about the upcoming introduction of formal discipline standards for United Nations peacekeepers, standards which troop-contributing nations must accept.

A separate article focused on the staggering budget of DPKO on the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. The article includes a roundup of views on the effectiveness and efficiency of the UN system, and those states who are footing important parts of the overall cost.

DRC- Accusations that UN troops 'traded gold for guns'

The BBC alleges that a UN investigation concluded that Pakistani peacekeepers in north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo were trading gold with local militias and selling confiscated weapons back to their previous owners. The incidents, which would have taken place in 2005, were investigated in 2006, though there the article illustrates that the investigators were obstructed in their work. Interestingly, the UN was alerted to the gold trading allegations by Human Rights Watch.

Northrop Grumman Awarded Contract for Global Training of Peacekeeping Forces

Northrop Grumman was awarded the contract for the Global Peace Operations Initaitive (GPOI- more on the initiative here and here). The $200 million US contract over five years is part of the US Department of State initiative to build worldwide capacity for peacekeeping operations. L3 Communications MPRI was also awarded a similar contract.

As the press release makes clear, Northrop Grumman has already been providing similar training under the ACOTA program- African Contingency Operations Training Assistance- since the 1990s.

Refugees International- Security Sector Reform Must Focus on Protection of Civilians

Refugees International (RI) sent a statement to the UN Security Council on February 16, 2007, appealing for a coordinated UN approach to Security Sector Reform (SSR). The 'punchline' of their appeal was that SSR must place more focus on the protection of civilians.

RI makes some excellent points in their piece, notably on the rationale behind their appeal:
'Regenerating and strengthening of the security sector post-conflict have been issues of UN concern for some time. Modern integrated UN peacekeeping missions incorporate military, political, humanitarian and development actors. Like the more traditional peacekeeping missions, these multidimensional missions still fulfill short-term stabilization and protection duties. But today peacekeepers are also expected to lay the ground work for long-term development and a self-sustaining peace. The weak or corrupted security institutions that make peacekeeping necessary in the first place must be developed into strong, accountable institutions that protect civilians, ensure stability, and create the necessary conditions for lasting peace, security, and rule of law.'

Curious as to how these initiatives on SSR link into the UN Peacebuilding Commission.

'Peacekeeping in Africa is not for the faint-hearted'

An excellent piece on the challenges and risks of peacekeeping in Africa:
"The first half of 2006 has not been kind to peacekeepers in Africa. The UN force in Cote d'Ivoire was forced to evacuate bases in the face of rioters; the UN force in the Democratic Republic of Congo suffered casualties and soldiers captured in the Ituri district, major attacks by dissident soldiers in North Kivu province and lacked the troops to deal with a Mayi Mayi rebellion in Katanga; the African Union force in Darfur took casualties in clashes with militias and bandits and the UN had to withdraw aid personnel from two bases in Chad after rebel attacks."

Nigerian UNMIL peacekeepers donate clinic to local community

A story from Liberia, where the 850 members of the Nigerian contingent donated $10 US each to finance the construction of a clinic for the village of Charlesville, close to Monrovia.

'The gift from the 11th battalion of the Nigerian Contingent - NIBATT 11 - is the latest in the long list humanitarian projects being undertaken by Nigerian peacekeepers in addition to their primary tasks of keeping the peace in war-torn Liberia. "This beautiful building will remind us, long after today, of the generosity, care and concern of all members of NIBAT11," said the Officer in Charge of the UN Mission in Liberia, Mr. Jordan Ryan as he commissioned the clinic.'

The integration of this project into the bigger reconstruction picture is called into question by the battalion commander's appeal for external support at the opening ceremony:
'"Our vision is to see this clinic transform into a full-fledged hospital in the near future, and generally boost the health sector of Liberia." He appealed to other concerned organizations, NGOs, businesses and individuals to help provide the clinic with medical equipment, beddings, drugs, electricity, borehole, and additional structures.'

Shoot-out between UN, Liberian gang

Report on a UN patrol having exchanged fire with a gang of armed men in northern Liberia over the weekend. It was the first such gunfight involving UN peacekeepers in Liberia since the swearing-in of the postwar government of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in 2006.

Sudan- More Darfuris flee, begging for UN troops to help

An article that collects the various perspectives around the deployment of a peacekeeping force in Darfur. Opinions range from the frustration of the conflict's victims, who suggest that the AU force themselves require protection; to the Khartoum government, who downplays the conflict's costs, and accuses western media of having blown the conflict out of proportion.

the Protection Group: Sudan- More Darfuris flee, begging for UN troops to help

Six months since 1706: The international failure to protect Darfur

Comprehensive look at where things stand in Darfur, and compliments the response from Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, refusing to accept an interim U.N. plan to bolster African troops in Darfur, despite an earlier agreement in principle.
Security Management Initiative: Six months since 1706: The international failure to protect Darfur

India's UNIFIL contingent to provide prosthetic limbs

'The Indian contingent of the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) announced a "Jaipur Foot Project" at the headquarters of the contingent in Ibl al-Saki on Monday. The project aims to provide prosthetic limbs to Lebanese soldiers and civilians who have lost a limb to cluster bombs or land mines in the South.'

UN commander says in control of Haiti

An insightful interview with the Brazilian force commander on the successes of the Peacekeeping mission in Haiti:

'U.N. peacekeeping forces have established military control in Haiti and paved the way for reconstruction but have yet to contain the supply of arms to slum gangs, the Brazilian force commander said.'

Thought it might be interesting to underline the humanitarian commitment to Haiti by civilian agencies. To illustrate the scale of spending, UN Agencies alone are undertaking some $98 million US period 2006- 2007.

LEBANON: UNIFIL wins hearts and minds in south, but questions remain over security

The UN appears to be leading a hearts-and-minds fiesta in Lebanon:

'BEIRUT, 4 March 2007 (IRIN) - Nepalese soldiers are teaching computing skills to the women of Houla, a Shia Muslim village 2km from Lebanon’s southern border with Israel.

At barracks across the south-east, Spanish troops meet their Lebanese counterparts to teach them Spanish.

And at 8am in the Christian valley town of Ebl Al Saqi, just south of the Litani River, a class of excited eight and nine-year-olds from Al Fardis School learn the basics of yoga from the Sikhs of the 15th Punjab Division.'

This adds to an earlier posting where the Spanish military contingent announced that they had a budget of some 6.5 million Euros to undertake humanitarian projects. In this example, the UNIFIL is undertaking $500k US in Quick Implementation Projects (QIPs) including the traditional well-digging and street cleaning projects.

While the scale of projects is impressive- 4,000 patients from mobile clinics alone- it does pose a very simple question- What is the point of having humanitarian agencies in Lebanon if peacekeepers are doing so much? More revealing still is the lack of information on what UNIFIL is accomplishing on the security front- presumably their primary task. The same spokesperson recounting their humanitarian successes made at best vague references to the effect that no Hezbollah fighters have been seen moving weapons, though, '...there was, reportedly, evidence that Hezbollah fighters were building a new line of defence just north of the Litani.'

The debate continues. In the meantime, the Lebanese can benefit from the secondary yogic effects of Peacekeeping...

DPKO- They Year in Review- 2006

The UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations has published their 2006 Year in Review, entitled, 'New Challenges, New Horizons'. The theme is very much oriented around more peacekeepers being called into action worldwide.

Also released is an 'Audit of the management structures of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations', published by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS). The audit assesses whether the Department’s current structures adhered to sound management practice in providing political, logistical and administrative support to peace missions led by the Department and focuses on governance, accountability, doctrine, organizational structure, delegated authority in key administrative functions, training, mission support and partnering in peace operations.