UN Peacekeeping in West Africa and the role of KAIPTC

On behalf of the United Nations family in Ghana and the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simão, I would like to wish a warm welcome to our august visitor, H.E. Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Ghana.

From the UN’s perspective, your presence today in Ghana is indicative of the enduring partnership between the Republic of Ghana and the Federal Republic of Germany which over time cuts across development partnership, governance and political cooperation, peace building and sustainable economic development. In addition, the partnership between Ghana and Germany continues to be of immense support to the multilateral system on which underpins UN’s work and is critical for international peace, sustainable development and stability. The UN is profoundly thankful to the leadership of President Nana Akufo Addo and Chancellor Olaf Scholz in this regard.

Your Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to thank the organizers for inviting me to this public lecture on Germany’s contribution to security in the continent and the future of UN peacekeeping. I would like to share with you some perspectives on UN Peacekeeping in West Africa and the role of KAIPTC.

As you are already aware, the United Nations was established on three fundamental pillars, as outlined in the United Nations Charter: promotion of international peace and security, advancement of economic and social growth, and protection and promotion of human rights. Since the creation of the UN, these values have defined human existence, enhance relationships between communities and been the basis for multilateral action.

Vested with the mandate to promote these core mandate areas, the UN has adopted a more holistic approach by strengthening the nexus between peace, development and human rights underpinned by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a blueprint to achieve durable peace, stability, and development and a sustainable future for all.

Your Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

The Prevention Agenda of the UN Secretary-General constitutes an important component of the UN’s peace and security mandate. It is premised on the primacy of politics and the need to work closely with actors at local, national, and regional levels to improve spaces for dialogue and address the drivers of conflict.  

Nonetheless, when conflicts erupt, the UN leverages its peacekeeping toolbox to ensure it responds to very complex and dynamic situations where civilians, particularly, women and children are often at risk. Over the last 75 years, UN Peacekeeping has become an effective tool in conflict resolution and promoting international peace and security.

In this regard, I would like to recognize the immense role of Ghana and Germany to peace and peacekeeping. Our host, the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) for which Germany is a main supporter indicative of a concrete example taken by Ghana and Germany to prevent and respond to conflict in additional to other investments.

With the support of Germany and Ghana, UN peacekeeping missions have been deployed with varied mandates to protect civilians, promote political instability and implementation of peace accords/agreements, enhance the respect of human rights, support disarmament and security sector reform processes and many more. We also acknowledge Germany’s engagement in UN peace missions which is an important component of German foreign and peace policy.

Recognizing the immense contribution of Ghana, it has been selected to host the first Peacekeeping Ministerial to hold on the continent from 5th to 6th December, 2023. Congratulations to Ghana. Focused on five key issues, protection of civilians, strategic communications (including mis/dis information and hate speech), safety and security, mental health of peacekeepers and women in peacekeeping, this will be an important gathering. Let me also recognize and thank Germany, Norway, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands for supporting this important event. The UN is grateful to Ghana and all of you.

Contemporary UN peace keeping operations with multifaceted mandates also serve a crucial role in assisting in democratic endeavors, including facilitating electoral processes, safeguarding and advancing the rule of law and aiding in establishing and reinstating frameworks for sustainable peace and development.

I would like to highlight that since its creation, establishing the UN, at least 25 peacekeeping operations have been conducted throughout Africa, the first being the United Nations operations in Congo (1960-1964). Since the late 80s to date, we have seen an increase in the number of UN Peacekeeping operations in Africa with varied level of successes.

Among the six peacekeeping operations currently in Africa, only one is in West Africa, known as the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). This mission was established in April 2013 and is closing as of 31 December 2023 after an immediate request for withdrawal by the Government of Mali last June which was approved by Security Council Resolution 2690/2023.

Despite challenges and a rapidly evolving context, UN peacekeeping operations have substantially contributed to maintaining peace and security in countries in which they operate hence contributing to regional and international peace and security. We have success stories of protection of civilians, building and strengthening national institutions, supporting and empowering local communities, enhancing the participation of women and youths in the governance process and supporting humanitarian efforts.

To be more specific, the UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia which concluded in March 2018, successfully disarmed over 100,000 combatants and secured approximately 21,000 weapons. Additionally, it facilitated the repatriation of around one million refugees and displaced individuals, allowing them to return to their homes. Furthermore, the mission was crucial in organizing three peaceful presidential and legislative elections. In Cote D’Ivoire, the UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) contributed to addressing post electoral violence following disputed elections in 2011. Meanwhile in Sierra Leone, the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL 1999-2006) and its succeeding offices (UN Integrated Office for Sierra Leone - UNIOSIL (2006-2008) and UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) collectively contributed to ending the civil war, supported transition into post conflict and democratic rule and contributed to building governance structures. In Guinea Bissau, the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS) completed its Security Council mandate on 31 December 2020 during which it supported  the  implementation of the Conakry Agreement of 14 October 2016 and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) six point road map for resolving Guinea-Bissau’s political crisis.

Despite these success stories, changes in the landscape pose enormous challenges to peacekeeping in general and UN peacekeeping in particular.  A combination of widespread insecurity, terrorism and violent extremism, poor governance, humanitarian crisis, climate change, social frustration, and economic hardship and - last but not least - unconstitutional changes in power are having different implications for peacekeeping in our region and beyond.

The case of Mali confronted with multiple challenges has exposed the limits of peacekeeping. Nonetheless, MINUSMA, which has often found itself in the middle of these challenges, has had to carefully navigate and explore better options for the implementation of its mandate including inter alia, the protection of civilians and preempting hostilities between signatories to the Algiers Peace Agreement of 2015. The unconstitutional change of government in Mali further created additional challenges, notwithstanding, MINUSMA has been able to closely collaborate with the authorities within the context of its mandate.

Furthermore, challenges faced by multilateralism impact on peace operations. Gridlock in the UN Security Council because of geopolitical dynamics has implications for peace operations which derive their mandates from the Security Council.  This is further compounded by increased demands by affected communities and limited possibilities for success which ultimately affects legitimacy of peacekeeping operations in the eyes of communities.

You would agree with me that a stronger and unified Security Council is critical for international peace and stability. Similarly, continental and regional institutions including AU and ECOWAS remain key players in the peace and security arena and particularly in conflict prevention and resolution. The efforts of coastal states, through the Accra Initiative, is a strong and positive effort to be applauded and supported in this regard. The recent events in Niger and other countries in transition in the region have highlighted the issues faced by ECOWAS in its core mandate of promoting regional peace and security.

In addition, as the intensity and complexity of conflicts increase so too are the difficulties faced by peace operations.  Africa has experienced a notable escalation over the past decade, presenting considerable obstacles to conventional peacekeeping endeavors.  Intercommunal conflicts have increased in frequency and intensity requiring more long-term approaches to address their structural causes. Given the time-bound nature of peace operations, it is necessary to consider more adaptable measures to address this challenge. Mindful of this, the UN has been supporting national and regional processes to address the root causes of these types of conflict.

More so, sustained political support of the host country and relevant actors is central to the success of any peacekeeping operation.  The unexpected request for an immediate withdrawal of a peacekeeping mission, as is the case with MINUSMA, is not only unprecedented, but symptomatic of the overall difficulties multilateralism is facing to maintain the political will, pursue effective peacekeeping mandates, manage expected results as well as the expectations of concerned populations.  Likewise, ensuring transition from peacekeeping to peacebuilding and stabilization requires a collective approach which must be prioritized to prevent relapse as seen in some situations.

Your Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen

In summary, peacekeeping missions are successful if there is a peace to keep and there is sufficient political will by all actors towards peace. In the absence of these, peace missions would face enormous challenges.

Unified guidance from the UN Security Council and clarity of mandates are equally important for the success of peace keeping missions.

The nature of security threats warrants sustained investment in prevention as peace missions may come in too late or may not be suited to address these threats. Hence, preventive diplomacy and good governance underpinned by the Sustainable Development Goals must be prioritized and benefit from more investments

Before concluding Your Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, permit me recognize the invaluable contribution of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) to enhancing the capacity of peace actors through the provision of comprehensive training to military, police, and civilian personnel involved in multidimensional peacekeeping and peace support operations within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region as well as other parts of Africa.

The research focus of the Centre represents a significant advancement toward acquiring substantial knowledge about peacekeeping efforts in West Africa and other regions.  The acquisition of such knowledge remains crucial in informing the development and implementation of peacekeeping missions in many regions worldwide.

The capacity development programmes have contributed to developing a new cohort of individuals with enhanced critical thinking skills, specifically to engage in peacekeeping missions in West Africa and other regions.

In conclusion, I would once again commend the people of Ghana and Germany for their continued commitment and support to peace, security and development. The UN reiterates its commitment to support your initiatives in this regard and stands ready to lend its support.

We strongly believe that with renewed optimism and determination, the Ghana-Germany partnership constitutes the bedrock to build a partnership for regional peace and security in line with the aspirations of the people of West Africa and the Sahel.

I thank you for your attention.