CANADIAN PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS

This paper, Canadian Peacekeeping Missions: The Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, was written March 8, 2009 for my UFV Crim 335 (Human Rights and Civil Liberties) course, taught by Danijel Ristic. I wrote this paper as I am a 17 year CF Army ResF Veteran, and have insights into the CF/DND Peacekeeping policies and mandate.

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INTRODUCTION

In this paper I will attempt to discuss the role and mandate of the Canadian Forces in UN peacekeeping operations as related to the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda and the human rights issues as related to each mission, then I will attempt to address the successful missions (if any) and the failed missions and why these missions succeeded or failed. I will also ask question related to the failure of UN peacekeeping missions in regard to the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda and attempt to answer these questions in the hopes that these issues can be more effectively addressed to prevent the failure of future UN peacekeeping missions.

ROLE AND MANDATE OF MISSIONS

Former Yugoslavia

The role and mandate of the United Nations Protective Force (UNPROFOR), according to resolution 743 (1992), was to ensure that the “United Nations Protected Areas (UNPAs)” were free of armed military organizations, and to protect all citizens residing in them from fear of attacks, as well as to monitor the function of the local police, to help ensure the people were free from discrimination and protect them from human rights violations. The role and mandate for UNPROFOR outside the UNPAs, was to confirm the withdrawal of the Yugoslav People’s Army as well as the “irregular forces from Croatia”, other than those that were “disbanded and demobilized” there.

UNPROFOR’s role and mandate also included the support of the work of the UN humanitarian agencies, and to “facilitate the return, in conditions of safety and security”, of displaced citizens to their homes in the so-called protected areas. The bottom line of the purpose of this mission was to enforce the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Another role and mandate for UNPROFOR also included monitoring the security of all the borders (www.un.org).

Rwanda

The role and mandate for the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMR), according to UN resolution 872 (1993), was to oversee the “Arusha Peace Agreement” by assisting in the security of Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, monitoring of the “ceasefire agreement”, establishing “an expanded demilitarized zone and demobilization procedures”, monitoring the “security situation during the final period of the transitional Government's mandate leading up to elections, assisting with mine-clearance, and assisting in the coordination of humanitarian assistance activities in conjunction with relief operations” (www.un.org).

SUCCESSFUL MISSIONS: WHY?

Former Yugoslavia

At least one single mission in the Former Yugoslavia was a success, and it was all due to the actions of a brave and honorable Canadian Forces (then M/Cpl) Sgt named Marc Leger. For his actions in bringing humanitarian aid, such as “water, food, building materials, and hope” to a small village located in the Livino Valley he was nicknamed King Marco. Sgt Leger, put a lot of effort into bringing aid to those who called him their king. When his superiors weren’t looking he would score extra food, water, and building materials from his base camp and spirit these supplies to those that lived in Livino Valley. Unfortunately while on tour in Afghanistan, Sgt Leger was killed blue on blue, a term we use in the military that refers to friendly fire. Even the term friendly fire is an oxymoron. There is nothing friendly about bullets and bombs that are accidently aimed at friendly forces! The people in Livino Valley loved Leger. His actions went above and beyond the call of duty (Canadian Press, April 20, 2002).

FAILED MISSIONS: WHY?

Former Yugoslavia

Over all, as in Rwanda, the UN peacekeeping mission in the Former Yugoslavia also failed, and for the very same reasons why the Rwanda mission failed. The UN mission name for the Former Yugoslavia was titled United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR). UNPROFOR was under the command of Canadian Maj/Gen Lewis MacKenzie. UNPROFOR’s mandate was to conduct “humanitarian relief, monitor no fly zones and safe areas”, and later on in the mission “preventative monitoring in border areas.” At least in this mission the UN peacekeeping force had adequate manpower, but unfortunately, they too lacked the proper equipment (www.un.org).

The question is, why did UNPROFOR fail? In my opinion UNPROFOR failed because the governments of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Former Yugoslavia refused to acknowledge the human rights of all parties involved. The conflict, according to Robinson (1999), in this region was religious based. And the religious parties involved were the “Orthodox [Christian] Serbs, the Catholic Croats and the Muslim Bosnians.” It was commonly known as ethnic cleansing.

One religious group wanted to have a perfect, pure nation of one religion only. Not too long ago, Germany was a led by a man who had similar ideals for his country. He was almost successful with his program.

Bisset alleges that the US-led NATO bombings not only violated the UN charter, but was also unjustifiable and that the reports of genocide and ethnic were unfounded. Bisset also goes on to allege that just because the body count was “2000” that there was “no genocide.” He also alleged that because the “Albanians were displaced within Kosovo as a result of two years of armed conflict there was not a deliberate policy of ethnic cleansing taking place” (The Ottawa Citizen, February 19, 2008).

I must disagree with Bisset’s position. I disagree, because, in my opinion, there was genocide and there was ethnic cleansing. In my opinion, Bisset is just another typical left wing liberal who would prefer to turn a blind eye to the facts. Bisset’s article is full of misinformation as well as biasness.

Parenti discuss a number of reasons why there is media bias. Deadlines, budget issues, and the like are but a number of reasons. These reasons could also explain why Bisset’s article is full of misinformation and biasness (The Institute of Communications Studies, University of Leeds, UK).

Another reason, in my opinion, why UNPROFOR failed was due to the lack of willingness for the UN to take the gloves off and enforce the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). It also didn’t help much when the requests of UNPROFOR’s commander fell on deaf ears at the United Nations. Makes me ask the question, just what good is the UN if they are unwilling to take the action necessary to protect the human rights of the victims of this war torn region?

Rwanda

It was called United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMR), but it was nothing of the kind. Time and time again Canadian Forces Lt/Gen Romeo Dellaire’s hands were tied. The higher ups back at the UN Headquarters in New York, based on political reasons refused to action Lt/Gen Dellaire’s requests. Lt/Gen Dallaire’s UN mandate was only to observe a “peace deal” between two ethnic “warring parties.”

Meanwhile the “Hutu extremists” were gathering “weapons” of war with the intent to wipe out the other party, known as the “Tutsis.” So much for a so-called UN mandate (CNN.com, 2008).

The UN Rwanda mission failed because the UN refused to send an adequate amount of troops as well as to adequately equip the UN peacekeepers with the equipment required to carry out their mission successfully (Dallaire, 2004; pp. 102, 432).

The failure of UNAMR only meant further human rights violations and this was very frustrating to Lt/Gen Dallaire as the UN refused to allow him to protect the innocent. In fact at one point prior to stepping down from his command from Rwanda, he outright refused an order on grounds of moral decency (CNN.com, 2008).

Again, the question is why? Why did UNAMR fail? UNAMR failed not only because the UN politicians refused to action Lt/Gen Dallaire’s requests, but also because there was dis-trust of major proportions between the Hutus and the Tutus.

CONCLUSION

Missions fail not because of the soldiers that are called to serve in UN peacekeeping missions. In fact the soldiers involved in peacekeeping are of the highest caliber. Missions fail because of the corrupt politicians that are elected to lead the UN. Politicians such as Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Kofi Annan, and of course (then) Canadian Maj/General Maurice Baril, who later became Canada’s Chief of Defense Staff.

In my opinion, the main theme of both missions was to enforce the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as to address the Geneva Conventions and other UN legislations and declarations dealing with human rights, yet the UN refused to action the requests of both commanders, Maj/Gen MacKenzie and Lt/Gen Dallaire, and that allowed for ethnic cleansings in both the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

In my opinion, the UN is extremely hypocritical because on the one hand they draft a number of declarations under the premise of human rights, yet on the other hand they refuse to action the requests of the UN commanders in the assistance of implementing the UN’s human rights agenda.

The question now is, how can future human rights violations like this be prevented? The answer is very simple. First address the UN mandates by ensuring that future UN peacekeeping missions have the required manpower and equipment to successfully complete the mission at hand.

In my opinion, if these issues are not addressed effectively, it will not matter how many troops are on the ground or how well they are trained and equipped, UN peacekeeping missions will always be doomed to failure and innocent civilians will continue to be slaughtered in the millions!!

REFERENCES

Bissett, J. (2008, February 19). Canada and Kosovo. The Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved February 19, 2009 from Ottawacitizen.com http://www2.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/opinion/story.html?id=32b1a951-15cf-4193-bff5-af0cb5d3fa90&p=1

Dallaire, R. (2004). Shake Hands With The Devil. Toronto, ON: Vintage Canada. 'King Marco' left his legacy in Bosnia. (2002, April 20). Canadian Press. Retrieved February 19, 2009 from http://www.balkanpeace.org/index.php?index=article&articleid=13728

Parenti, M. Methods of Media Manipulation. The Institute of Communications Studies, University of Leeds, UK. Retrieved February 19, 2009 from http://ics.leeds.ac.uk/papers/vp01.cfm?outfit=pmt&folder=193&paper=1211

Robinson, B. A. (1999, April 7). Religious aspects of the Yugoslavia - Kosovo conflict. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Retrieved March 7, 2009 from http://www.religioustolerance.org/war_koso.htm

Shiffman, K. (2008, December 10). pleas for help ignored. CNN.com/World. Retrieved February 19, 2009 from http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/11/13/sbm.dallaire.profile/

UNIMAR Retrieved February 22, 2009 from http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/co_mission/unamirM.htm

UNPROFOR Retrieved February 22, 2009 from http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/co_mission/unprofor.htm