You might have missed it during the week, but the New York Times did an interesting piece on the somewhat dilapidated state of UN Peacekeeping operations these days. The details are not surprising: UN peacekeeping Missions are being called on to do more and more but doing it much less effectively. The key dilemma, the Security Council keeps sending peacekeepers to places like Congo and Darfur where there is no peace to keep and without sufficiently robust forces or the right mandate to enforce a peace and keep warring parties in their places. A Nigerian General makes a very common sense appeal: “If the U.N. goes into any country, they should know and be certain what we are going to do there, what the requirements are and how long we will stay.” The hope for a clear timeline may not always work out (that means you, Cyprus), but a clear mission and the resources to carry it out are absolutely essential.
