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Improving Peacekeeping Missions in Africa
U.N. peacekeeping operations in Africa are facing unprecedented challenges today, including faltering host nation cooperation and consent and the presence of actors like the Wagner Group in conflict zones, said Michele Sison, Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, in a recent Congressional testimony.
“So it's clear that we need to expand our multilateral toolkit for responding to security crises in Africa while simultaneously working to improve, pushing to improve U.N. peacekeeping,” she said.
The UN Security Council recently adopted Resolution 2719 which provides a framework for the partial funding of African led peace support operations with UN assessed contributions, explained Assistant Secretary Sison:
“We were very active in the negotiation of this resolution. We insisted that future African Union led peace operations, supported by U.N. assessed contributions, comply with U.N. human rights due diligence policy and are mandated to protect civilians and be authorized by and accountable to the U.N. Security Council.”
“The complex crises across Africa demand new tools in addition to traditional U.N. peacekeeping operations,” said Assistant Secretary Sison.
“So, we need tools that allow the international community to respond rapidly to threats against civilians to prevent mass atrocities, counter violent extremist or terrorist groups, and stabilize a security situation to allow space for a political solution. African Union peace support operations may also serve as a counter to malign actors who seek to exploit security vacuums, an issue of critical importance to our U.S. national security,” she said.
As the largest financial contributor to U.N. peacekeeping, the United States remains committed to defending American interests in Africa and working with its multilateral partners to tackle the global challenges of conflict, insecurity, and human rights violations by improving peace keeping missions.