UN peacekeepers
UN has tasked its self in maintaining peace all over the globe through its peacekeeping wing. The peacekeepers help countries affected by war or any form of conflict navigate their paths from conflicts to peace. UN has the legitimacy of deploying peacekeeping military troops into other countries, integrating them with the local ones, and propelling peace in the countries in question. The wing has attained success in many countries and given as an example one of the organizations at the forefront in promoting peace globally.
The UN peacekeeping wing was invented in 1948 and had, over time, developed its roles from the mere protecting civilians from shootouts to protecting human rights, promoting the rule of law, disarming ex-combatants, and supporting free and fair elections. The UN peacekeepers vary from civilians, the military to the police from all over the globe working together. The UN records 3500 fallen heroes in the peacekeeping missions.
The UN peacekeeping has recorded a total of 55 successful peacekeeping missions for the last 70 years. The partnership observed between the UN secretariat, the Security Council and the countries in which the mission is occurring has been owed the success achieved by the peacekeepers. The peace achieved in each country has been promoted to last longer by the initiatives the peacekeepers leave behind. They ensure that the states are more resilient to conflict and lay the ground for the countries to sustain the acquired peace for a long time.
One of the most essential missions of the UN peacekeeping arm is the 15 years spent in Liberia. It was one of the first countries in Africa to attain independence. It enjoyed nearly a century of peace until 1989 when the order was disrupted, and the country experienced years of chaos and devastating civil wars. The state lost almost a quarter of its population, with more nearly 80 percent of the women and girls in the country facing sexual violence-related conflicts. The wars called for the need for UN peacekeepers to intervene and try and help restore peace in the country. They, therefore, established the Liberia peacekeeping mission in 2003. “The entire country was in turmoil; people were moving from place to place, looking for safety or food.” Said the UN commander Gen. Daniel Opande, recalling Liberia’s situation during their arrival.
16000 personnel from all over the globe came to serve with the UNML. A total of 200 peacekeepers lost their lives while serving in Liberia. They created a new secure environment in the country that encouraged the internally displaced people to go back to their homes. Around the same time, other groups of the peacekeeping arm were in Sierra Leone and Cote d’Ivoire, maintaining peace. The effect of the UN peacekeepers in Liberia was felt right from their arrival in the country. During their stay in the country, they have helped three presidential candidates complete their terms. As part of their objectives, they have supervised and promoted peaceful and democratic elections in the country.
The 15-year mission came to an end in 2018 after the successful election of Mr. Weah. The successful establishment of peace in the country is not owed to wield of weapons by the UN deployed troops but also their outreach to the whole country through the radio broadcast services in both in the local language and English. “We put a lot of emphasis on promoting peace and national reconciliation,” said Viban, a Cameroon citizen who runs a UNML radio station.
The peacekeepers did not task themselves with just the promotion of peace in the country but also made sure that even in their departure, Liberia would remain at peace. Building the Liberian police and training its army were some of the initiatives the peacekeeping group in Liberia took to ensure that peace lasted. The presence of women in the peacekeeping taskforce encouraged the women in Liberia to take up more roles in their country and even fight against their discrimination and sexual abuse. During the building of the Liberian police force, women were more than willing to join and promote peace in their country. Today, contrary to earlier years, Liberia has more women taking up more roles in the country, all due to the efforts of the UN peacekeeping arm.
Peace and development go hand in hand, and therefore before their departure, the UNML helped fund a farming project in Paynesville. They also financed a recycling project that involved the young people in Kru town. These and other projects in the country are some of the initiatives towards promoting sustainable peace in the country. Today, although the state is still fragile, the government and its people have started demonstrating responsibility towards the maintenance of the hard-gained peace in the country.
Liberia is just an example of the many successful missions that the UN peacekeepers have accomplished. Their objectives and strategies give it credit, praise, and recognition it has earned globally.