Monday, September 28, 2015

Le Monde- More U.N. Peackeepers Promised

The UN is promised 40,000 more peacekeepers

Le Monde.fr avec AFP 
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image: http://s2.lemde.fr/image/2015/09/29/534x0/4775974_6_af85_un-casque-bleu-dans-la-zone-tampon-controlee_725efce8b470f9cba05a67aedd59962e.jpg
Un casque bleu dans la zone tampon contrôlée par les forces de l'ONU qui divise la capitale de Chypre, Nicosie, en mai.

Led by the US, fifty countries have promised Monday, September 28 to provide40,000 extra peacekeepers, when the UN peacekeeping missions are overstretched and vulnerable. Barack Obama had convened on the margins of the 'United Nations General Assembly in New York for a summit to strengthenthe 16 UN missions in the world, which already serve 125,000 soldiers, police and civilians came from 124 countries.

This network, said Obama "can no longer meet the growing demand" due to the proliferation of conflicts in Africa: in Mali, to South Sudan in Central Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo. The peacekeepers are also vulnerable to attacks and bombings: on the eve of the summit, a South African peacekeeper was killed in the Sudanese province of Darfur. Mission in Mali (Minusma) is one of the deadliest in the history of the UN, with 60 deaths since its deployment.
The United States is the largest donor of peacekeeping, with 28% of the annual $ 8.3 billion budget, but they are reluctant to contribute troops. Obama announced a doubling of the number of American officers (currently 78) serving under the banner of the UN.

rebalancing between rich and developing countries

The China promised 8000 police, Colombia, 5000 peacekeepers, while it was previously absent from this sector. The Europe was more cautious. The United Kingdom will send several hundred soldiers in Somalia and South Sudan. The Netherlands has extended by one year their participation in Minusma and increased funding. In addition to the troops medical units or engineering, mine-clearance experts, helicopters, including some missions sorely lacking, or drones. The Rwanda offered two attack helicopters, a unit of policemen and 1600 soldiers.
The idea of this summit, according to US officials, was not only to strengthen the network but also to rebalance the burden between rich nations to arm modern ed, especially Europeans and developing countries. These provide the largest contingents, with 8 000-10 000 men each for India, the Bangladesh, the Pakistan or Ethiopia. The Europeans dropped from 20 years to benefit missions of the NATO, as in Afghanistan. There are currently 289 British and 909 French peacekeepers.
For US officials, strengthen UN missions must allow also to better fight against sexual abuse that have tarnished the image of peacekeepers, particularly in Central Africa. Charges forces at his disposal, they explain, the UN hesitate least to get tough against black sheep.
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