The United Nations Peacekeeping Operations in Africa
United Nations Peacekeeping is based on the principle that animpartial presence of the United Nations (UN) on the ground can easetensions and allow negotiated solutions in a conflict situation. Knownwidely as "blue helmets" or "blue berets," United Nations peacekeepers havepatrolled buffer zones between hostile parties, monitored ceasefires, andhelped defuse local conflicts, allowing the search for enduring politicalsettlements to continue (UN Peacekeeping, Preface). Recent years have,however, seen major changes in the number and nature of conflicts broughtbefore the UN. The post-cold war period has been characterized by aproliferation of civil wars and other armed conflicts within States, whichthreaten regional, national, and international peace and security. Inresponse to the changing nature of global conflict, the role of UNPeacekeeping, too, has evolved to a more complex operation involvingmilitary, civilian police, and other civilian personnel. With a mandate tohelp create political institutions and broaden their base, the UN todayworks alongside governments, non-governmental organizations, and localcitizen's groups to provide emergency relief, demobilize former fighters
Thus, the conclusion that can be reached is that mandates forpeacekeeping missions must reflect ground realities and be matched by themeans to implement them. Assuch, the real challenge for both the African and international communitieslies in addressing the root of these problems in order that the situationstops lending itself to the exploitation of people with vested power andfinancial interests in prolonging conflict. In this context, theefforts of the OAU to promote unity and solidarity among African states,safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Member States and topromote international cooperation within the framework of the UnitedNations is certainly encouraging (African Union). However, even with Taylor's departure, Liberia's prospects forpeace remain fragile. Sadly, the many set backs faced by the UN in Rwanda, Somalia, and Angolareflect its inability to handle crisis in Africa effectively. Since then, Liberia has seen the deaths of almost150,000 people (mostly civilians) and the fleeing of scores of othersresulting in some 850,000 refugees in neighboring countries (UNMIL, 2004). Often, economic development is key to attaining social empowerment andresolving differences. Though the UN ultimately managed to achievesome good in terms of assisting the Rwandese people in rehabilitating thecountry's justice system, alleviating the harsh conditions of the roughly60,000 detainees in prisons, restoring telecommunications, rehabilitatingbasic infrastructure, the Rwandese considered these efforts inadequate inthe light of Rwanda's post conflict requirements. UNAMSIL, established in October 1999, to assist the Sierra Leonegovernment in implementing the Lome Peace Agreement, includingimplementation of disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration faced asituation of ongoing atrocities, human right abuses committed againstcivilians, and outbreaks of hostilities from RUF rebels (UNAMSIL, 2004)till a deal was signed in Freetown in May 2001 between the government andthe rebels agreeing to an immediate cessation of hostilities and thedeployment of UNAMSIL peacekeepers into RUF territory as a prelude to adisarmament programme. In fact, since the 1990s the UN hasdeployed more peacekeeping missions in Africa than any other continent. For example, the lessons learnt from the UN experiencein Rwanda were that the UN Peacekeeping Mission was always one step behindthe realities of the situation. Over the pastdecade, however, certain worrying trends peculiar to Africa have emergedthat make the task of economic development a daunting one: "First, valuableresources. This symbioticrelationship was finally undermined by the UN Security Council's unanimoussupport in March 2001 for sanctions against Liberia (ISS, Sierra Leone).
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