Defence Forces Review 2008

UNMIL – A UN Success Story
The provision and operation of the State’s Security apparatus and the effectiveness and
coverage of the state’s administration are reflective of the scope of change in Liberia. The
last progress report delivered to the Security Council, on 08 August 2007, stated that State
Security, State administration and the rule of law in the counties were extremely limited.
It was also reported that the weak presence of state authority in some counties, aggravated
by poor communications and the lack of livelihood opportunities have contributed to the
movement of ex-combatants to areas rich in natural resources, which has caused friction
with local inhabitants. Some ‘larger communities’ of ex-combatants tend to maintain liaison
with their former factional commanders. 44 This is an obvious threat to the stability of the
new Liberian State. This risk to stability coupled with the arrest of a former Speaker of the
National Transitional Legislative Assembly and a Major General, who was a former Chief
of Staff and commander of the Special Anti-terrorist Unit during Samuel Doe’s presidency,
causes further concern to the sustained stability in Liberia. Both were charged with treason for
planning to destabilize the Government.
The UN‘s ability to function in today’s changing global conditions is questionable without
meaningful change. United States foreign policy will take precedence over other international
institutions. 45 Some commentators have suggested that if the UN Security Council continues
to materially disagree with US foreign policy on critical issues with any frequency, the UN
could come to resemble its defunct predecessor, the League of Nations. 46
The UNMIL deployment to date has had positive results, from both a military and peace
building perspective. Recommendations taken from the Brahimi Report have resulted in an
enhanced UN capacity to deploy a robust and more cohesive form of military intervention
with an integrated mission task force incorporating peace-building strategies.
In order for Liberia to return to lasting normality, cultural issues must be addressed, as must
the politicisation of military and state security services, the presence of spoilers (in the form of
outside influences and unstable neighbours) and the inherent corruption at all levels. The UN
must be in a position to follow through on peace building following the creation of a stable
environment by fulfilling the mandate of UNMIL.
UNMIL must be seen as a milestone in the evolutionary development of peacekeeping. If the
UN is to deliver an efficient, effective, and evolving peacekeeping capability then change and
reform must be a continuous process to ensure that the enhanced peace building concepts of
the UN meets the challenges of future conflicts.
Fo o t n o t e s
1
Taken from an address given by Kofi Annan, to the United Nations Association of Japan in Toyko on 13 May
1997, (SG/SM/6236)
2
‘Deliver Us From Evil – Warlords &Peacekeepers in a World of Endless Conflict’ – Shawcross (2000) London,
Bloomsbury, Page 252.
3
Intrastate conflicts accounted for 94% of all armed conflicts in the 1990s. Civil Wars / Intra State
Conflict – take place primarily within the borders of a single state and among belligerents who
normally reside in that state: see At War’s End - Paris 2004 page 1 Introduction.
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