Newspaper Article

Rescuing the blue helmets Peacekeepers or targets?

Benner, Thorsten, Rotmann, Philipp, Mergenthaler, Stephan

2008

Overview

Recent reports from Darfur, the largest and most expensive UN mission to date, are reminiscent of the news from Bosnia in the weeks before the fall of Srebrenica: UN peacekeepers, facing a logistical and political nightmare, are unable to defend themselves, let alone protect the civilian population. Were further large-scale atrocities to occur under the UN's watch in Darfur, the repercussions would threaten to undermine the entire business of peace operations. To accomplish this, member states need to clearly commit to the doctrine that a UN peace operation should only be deployed if there is actually a peace to keep, underwritten by a credible commitment by the major conflict parties to work toward a political solution. If taking the \"Responsibility to Protect\" seriously in some cases requires military intervention, member states should not rely on the instrument of peacekeeping, which is ill-suited for this task. Key member states must also lower expectations on what peacekeepers can realistically achieve in Darfur. They must make it crystal clear to the public that the absence of peace in Darfur is not the fault of UN peacekeepers but a result of the international community's inability to force the conflict parties into a lasting political settlement.

• Publisher: New York Times Company