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Top Providers Of U.N. Peacekeepers From Africa

Top Providers Of U.N. Peacekeepers From Africa

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African peacekeepers have been tapped as particularly vital in helping to quell conflict across the continent. The U.N. was created as a multilateral body to ensure peace and healthy relations between countries, and peacekeeping has long been an important cornerstone of its role in the international community.

Africans have a deeper stake in resolving regional unrest than foreign peacekeepers, and are more familiar with the underlying tensions and conflicts. African peacekeepers also have an understanding of the territory, considered a major force for peace in neighboring countries.

As of March 2014, 122 member countries are providing peacekeepers to serve in the U.N.’s various missions across the world in six continents and countless countries. The following are the top providers of U.N. peacekeepers from Africa as of March 2014, according to U.N. Peacekeeping Operations information.

Sources: UN.org, Edition.CNN.com, Wikipedia.org, TheGuardian.com, IrinNews.com, BBC.com, AllAfrica.com, ModernEgypt.info, Library.Yale.edu, UNGhana.org, ThisDailyLive.com, CDN.PeaceOpsTraining.org, Defense.gov, Rwandaun.org, ProvidingforPeacekeeping.org

Telegraph.co.uk
Telegraph.co.uk

10. Niger – 1,874

Niger peacekeepers most recently made headlines in June 2012 following a violent outburst on the border between Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia. Seven peacekeepers from Niger were killed, and the culprits were believed to be Liberian mercenaries clashing with Ivorian militia fighters. Despite the tragedy, Niger remains committed to U.N. peacekeeping operations, and continues to contribute to international missions.

TheEpochTimes.com
TheEpochTimes.com

9. Burkina Faso – 1,990

A longtime member of U.N. Peacekeeping operations, Burkina Faso contributes peacekeepers across the African continent, in countries such as Sudan, Burundi, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It also has members as a part of the U.N. stabilization mission in Haiti. The country has supplied police officers and military observers, along with ground troops, to the organization’s missions.

 

UNMultiMedia.org
UNMultiMedia.org

8. South Africa – 2,188

Although South Africa does rank in the top peacekeeper contributors in Africa, it is often derided for refusing to step into a leadership role, given its position as the continent’s economic powerhouse. The South African government points to its limited budget for defense, which is largely allocated for national protection against external forces, rather than for multilateral international peacekeeping efforts. Though its numbers are low, South Africa still contributes equipment and personnel to U.N. missions in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other sub-Saharan countries.

DefenceWeb.co.za
DefenceWeb.co.za

7. Tanzania – 2,259

Tanzanian peacekeepers have played an important role in the U.N. mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and recently stepped up their commitment in South Sudan. Following a special request from the U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Tanzania geared up to send more troops into the new nation as it struggles with frequent violent clashes and an unstable government. Tanzania has been praised for past peacekeeping efforts in Lebanon and Darfur.

UNMultimedia.org
UNMultimedia.org

6. Egypt – 2,658

Despite unrest within its own borders, Egypt continues to stand as a critical provider of peacekeepers throughout Africa and the rest of the world, and has long been involved in operations in nearby Darfur and South Sudan. Egypt has also been responsible for providing an interior ministry police unit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, charged with protecting other members of the U.N. mission.

DW.de
DW.de

5. Senegal – 2,960

A U.N. peacekeeping contributor since its independence in 1960, Senegal has sent troops and other personnel to missions around Africa and the rest of the world for more than 50 years. While its peacekeeping operations have mostly been centered on the African continent, it has also been a major contributor to observation missions in Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Cambodia, Haiti, and the former Yugoslavia.

Edition.MyJoyOnline.com
Edition.MyJoyOnline.com

4. Ghana – 2,988

With a sizable army and modernized equipment, Ghana has committed a large proportion of its armed forces to peacekeeping missions across Africa and the Middle East. Currently, the country has resources committed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Lebanon. Since its first U.N. peacekeeping mission in 1990, Ghana sent more than 80,000 men and women out for international peacekeeping missions. Ghana also has the distinction of providing the first force commander of the Economic Community of West African States monitoring group in 1990, as well as former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, a Ghanaian who first served as the under secretary for peacekeeping.

ICIRNigeria.org
ICIRNigeria.org

3. Nigeria – 4,719

Nigeria has contributed to international peacekeeping efforts since 1960, and more recently established a peacekeeping office of the Nigeria police in 2005 to help train personnel and ensure quality service. Nigeria has provided resources both for U.N. missions, as well as for African Union operations, and more recently was a lead contributor for operations carried out under the Economic Community of West African States. Nigeria currently has forces working in Liberia, Sudan, Haiti, Mali, and other African nations.

NewTimes.co.rw
NewTimes.co.rw

2. Rwanda – 4,786

The recipient of a large influx of U.N. peacekeepers in the 1994 genocide, Rwanda became a provider of the same to serve the international community in 2004. It has steadily upped its commitment each year. In fact, Rwanda contributes the highest percentage of troops per national capita to U.N. peacekeeping missions in the world. Recently, a large contingent of Rwandan peacekeepers was deployed in the Central African Republic to attempt to restore order there. Rwanda has also added to U.N. missions in areas where it already had participation, including Darfur, South Sudan, Haiti, Liberia, Abyei, Côte d’Ivoire, and Guinea-Bissau.

TigraiOnline.com
TigraiOnline.com

1. Ethiopia – 6,622

By far the largest African peacekeeping contributor, Ethiopia first became a contributor to UN missions in the 1950s, participating in a multinational force in the Korean War. Despite a respite from peacekeeping participation during the country’s civil war, following the overthrow of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974, Ethiopia restarted its commitment 1990s (deploying a large battalion to Rwanda in 1994), and again in earnest in 2003. Ethiopia has been critical to peacekeeping efforts in Darfur, South Sudan, and Abyei – for which it supplies the vast majority of resources, along with Rwanda, and has also led operations outside of the confines of the United Nations in Somalia. Ethiopia has demonstrated a preference for contributing to peacekeeping operations solely on the African continent, to which it believes it is both better suited to deal with, and more involved in the conflicts at hand.