PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Nigeria: Nigeria consolidating peacekeeping operations outside Africa (News analysis by Abudu Babalola, PANA Correspondent)
Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) – Nigeria's successive participation in the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, particularly outside Africa since 1960, has placed the West African nation among the five top world leading countries working hard to achieve global peace, security and stability.
For over five decades, Nigeria’s peacekeepers have participated in many UN operations including in Congo, Namibia, Angola, Western Sahara, Cambodia, Mozambique, Somalia and Rwanda, Yugoslavia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, East Timor, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Haiti, among others.
Apart from its leading role in decolonization in Africa and the fight against apartheid in South Africa, which led to an all-race elections 20 years ago, peacekeeping is another critical area in which experts agreed that Nigeria has excelled at the global level.
Prof. Solomon Akinboye, head of the Political Science Department, University of Lagos in south west Nigeria, told PANA in an exclusive interview, that “Nigeria has tremendously assisted the UN in realising its peacekeeping objectives right from independence. So I believe that all these were done to justified its leadership position in Africa."
He observed for its high-profile role in global peacekeeping operations, Nigeria is effectively positioning itself for a greater role in the proposed enlargement of the United Nations Security Council, possibly for a permanent seat.
From 1 October, 1960, when Nigeria gained independence from Britain, the West African country has left the International Community in no doubt as to what role it intends to play at the global level.
Barely a week after independence, Nigeria was admitted as the 99th member of the UN (7 October, 1960).
In his maiden address to the 15th session of the UN General Assembly, then Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, said part of the country’s foreign policy goals will be to maintain friendly relations with all nations and participate actively in the work of the UN organisations.
It is in pursuance of this objective that Nigeria joined the international machinery for the resolution, management and prevention of conflicts under the UN Umbrella by participating in the Congo peacekeeping mission from 1960-1964.
That marked the beginning of a glorious Nigerian career in peacekeeping around the world such that the country is today among the top five largest contributing countries.
Since 1960, Nigeria has contributed Military, Police Personnel and logistics to more than 40 peacekeeping operations around the world.
A 2013 UN report shows that the country ranked fifth of the 116 contributing countries to peacekeeping operations with 4,949 peacekeepers.
Bangladesh topped the list of contributing countries with 8,316, followed by Pakistan 8,250, India 7,848 and Ethiopia 6,534.
The leadership role of the Nigerian Police as leading police contributor in global peacekeeping has led to her participating in United Nations decision-making process, making it as the only African country with a permanent Police representative in United Nations Headquarters in New York.
To further demonstrate Nigeria’s commitment to global peace, the most populous black Nation established, in 2005, the Peacekeeping office of the Nigeria Police.
The main goal of the office is to research, train and deploy for Global peace support operations.
In addition, it equips personnel with requisite skills and competence to meet complex peace support operations environment through the delivery of quality internationally recognized professional training.
Trainers from the Nigeria police have facilitated International Peacekeeping training at centres of excellence across the globe.
These include the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra, Ghana; Pearson Peacekeeping Centre in Canada; the Centre of Excellence for Stability police Units (CoESPU) in Vicenza, and in Norway, Germany, China, Italy and India, among others.
According to the Nigeria Police website, the country has deployed over 12,000 personnel to various UN/AU and ECOWAS peace support operations.
As at June 2013, about 5,000 officers and men of the Armed Forces were serving in nine UN Peacekeeping missions within and outside Africa.
The re-election of Nigeria for the fifth consecutive time in February as the Chair of UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations and subsequent assumption as President of the UN Security Council for the month of April, were in recognition of the West African country’s contribution to global peace.
Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the UN, Prof. Joy Ogwu, on assumption as President said the committee was strategic in assisting the UN peacekeeping stakeholders in the efficient and effective delivery of peacekeeping mandates.
Through its leadership and participation in the work of the Committee, Nigeria contributes, as in past years, in moving the UN Peacekeeping Agenda forward and in strengthening the activities of the Organisation in this field.
Nigeria has also been a member of the UN Peace Building Commission since its inauguration in 2005. In the past years, Nigeria collaborated with other countries to develop initiatives to promote peace in the countries on its agenda.
The country’s delegation has also participated actively and with a sense of responsibility in the meetings of these bodies, underlining the importance of UN peacekeeping operations adhering to the principles of transparency, accountability, equity and fairness in the conduct of their activities.
Another Nigerian, Lt.-Gen. Chikadibia Isaac Obiakor, has served as Assistant Secretary General and Head of the UN Office of Military Affairs.
But what could have been the motive for Nigeria high-profile role in International Peacekeeping Operations, apart from promoting global peace and security?
Prof. Akinboye, gives an insight, saying “The reason is that Nigeria is trying to become a permanent member of the security council of the UN and of course in considering those that would be members, the aspect of participation in UN Peacekeeping operations is a very critical factor."
Nigeria’s involvement in peacekeeping missions is not without its costs and benefits. While some peacekeepers have paid the supreme prize, several millions of dollars in materials and equipment have been expended on the various missions.
Evidently, both in Africa and the world, Nigeria has gained good reputation and subsequent respect for her commitments and contributions to global shared value of peace, security and strategic stability.
In October 2012, the Acting Head of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), Mr. Louis M. Aucoin, honored more than 1,500 Nigerian peacekeepers, including 92 women, with UN medals for their contribution to UNMIL and peace in Liberia.
Peacekeeping is an operation involving Civilian and military personnel, but without enforcement powers.
It is a mechanism established by the UN to help maintain or restore peace in areas of conflicts. However, due to the changing nature of conflicts, the nature and composition of peacekeeping operations have radically changed.
Peacekeeping missions are no longer strictly confined to conventional peacekeeping role in which military forces monitor ceasefires between conflicting states and use of force only in self defence.
The operations are becoming more complex and multidimensional, going beyond monitoring ceasefires to actually bringing failing states back to normalcy, often after decades of conflicts.
-0- PANA SB/VAO 21April2014
For over five decades, Nigeria’s peacekeepers have participated in many UN operations including in Congo, Namibia, Angola, Western Sahara, Cambodia, Mozambique, Somalia and Rwanda, Yugoslavia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, East Timor, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Haiti, among others.
Apart from its leading role in decolonization in Africa and the fight against apartheid in South Africa, which led to an all-race elections 20 years ago, peacekeeping is another critical area in which experts agreed that Nigeria has excelled at the global level.
Prof. Solomon Akinboye, head of the Political Science Department, University of Lagos in south west Nigeria, told PANA in an exclusive interview, that “Nigeria has tremendously assisted the UN in realising its peacekeeping objectives right from independence. So I believe that all these were done to justified its leadership position in Africa."
He observed for its high-profile role in global peacekeeping operations, Nigeria is effectively positioning itself for a greater role in the proposed enlargement of the United Nations Security Council, possibly for a permanent seat.
From 1 October, 1960, when Nigeria gained independence from Britain, the West African country has left the International Community in no doubt as to what role it intends to play at the global level.
Barely a week after independence, Nigeria was admitted as the 99th member of the UN (7 October, 1960).
In his maiden address to the 15th session of the UN General Assembly, then Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, said part of the country’s foreign policy goals will be to maintain friendly relations with all nations and participate actively in the work of the UN organisations.
It is in pursuance of this objective that Nigeria joined the international machinery for the resolution, management and prevention of conflicts under the UN Umbrella by participating in the Congo peacekeeping mission from 1960-1964.
That marked the beginning of a glorious Nigerian career in peacekeeping around the world such that the country is today among the top five largest contributing countries.
Since 1960, Nigeria has contributed Military, Police Personnel and logistics to more than 40 peacekeeping operations around the world.
A 2013 UN report shows that the country ranked fifth of the 116 contributing countries to peacekeeping operations with 4,949 peacekeepers.
Bangladesh topped the list of contributing countries with 8,316, followed by Pakistan 8,250, India 7,848 and Ethiopia 6,534.
The leadership role of the Nigerian Police as leading police contributor in global peacekeeping has led to her participating in United Nations decision-making process, making it as the only African country with a permanent Police representative in United Nations Headquarters in New York.
To further demonstrate Nigeria’s commitment to global peace, the most populous black Nation established, in 2005, the Peacekeeping office of the Nigeria Police.
The main goal of the office is to research, train and deploy for Global peace support operations.
In addition, it equips personnel with requisite skills and competence to meet complex peace support operations environment through the delivery of quality internationally recognized professional training.
Trainers from the Nigeria police have facilitated International Peacekeeping training at centres of excellence across the globe.
These include the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra, Ghana; Pearson Peacekeeping Centre in Canada; the Centre of Excellence for Stability police Units (CoESPU) in Vicenza, and in Norway, Germany, China, Italy and India, among others.
According to the Nigeria Police website, the country has deployed over 12,000 personnel to various UN/AU and ECOWAS peace support operations.
As at June 2013, about 5,000 officers and men of the Armed Forces were serving in nine UN Peacekeeping missions within and outside Africa.
The re-election of Nigeria for the fifth consecutive time in February as the Chair of UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations and subsequent assumption as President of the UN Security Council for the month of April, were in recognition of the West African country’s contribution to global peace.
Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the UN, Prof. Joy Ogwu, on assumption as President said the committee was strategic in assisting the UN peacekeeping stakeholders in the efficient and effective delivery of peacekeeping mandates.
Through its leadership and participation in the work of the Committee, Nigeria contributes, as in past years, in moving the UN Peacekeeping Agenda forward and in strengthening the activities of the Organisation in this field.
Nigeria has also been a member of the UN Peace Building Commission since its inauguration in 2005. In the past years, Nigeria collaborated with other countries to develop initiatives to promote peace in the countries on its agenda.
The country’s delegation has also participated actively and with a sense of responsibility in the meetings of these bodies, underlining the importance of UN peacekeeping operations adhering to the principles of transparency, accountability, equity and fairness in the conduct of their activities.
Another Nigerian, Lt.-Gen. Chikadibia Isaac Obiakor, has served as Assistant Secretary General and Head of the UN Office of Military Affairs.
But what could have been the motive for Nigeria high-profile role in International Peacekeeping Operations, apart from promoting global peace and security?
Prof. Akinboye, gives an insight, saying “The reason is that Nigeria is trying to become a permanent member of the security council of the UN and of course in considering those that would be members, the aspect of participation in UN Peacekeeping operations is a very critical factor."
Nigeria’s involvement in peacekeeping missions is not without its costs and benefits. While some peacekeepers have paid the supreme prize, several millions of dollars in materials and equipment have been expended on the various missions.
Evidently, both in Africa and the world, Nigeria has gained good reputation and subsequent respect for her commitments and contributions to global shared value of peace, security and strategic stability.
In October 2012, the Acting Head of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), Mr. Louis M. Aucoin, honored more than 1,500 Nigerian peacekeepers, including 92 women, with UN medals for their contribution to UNMIL and peace in Liberia.
Peacekeeping is an operation involving Civilian and military personnel, but without enforcement powers.
It is a mechanism established by the UN to help maintain or restore peace in areas of conflicts. However, due to the changing nature of conflicts, the nature and composition of peacekeeping operations have radically changed.
Peacekeeping missions are no longer strictly confined to conventional peacekeeping role in which military forces monitor ceasefires between conflicting states and use of force only in self defence.
The operations are becoming more complex and multidimensional, going beyond monitoring ceasefires to actually bringing failing states back to normalcy, often after decades of conflicts.
-0- PANA SB/VAO 21April2014
