restoring law & order and crime prevention - Peace Operations ...

24Belgium invasion. It was the largest peacekeeping operation in the earlieryears of the UN in terms of manpower having strength of nearly 20,000troops. The Security Council subsequently passed resolution 161 (1961)which authorised the use of force by ONUC in an effort to avert civil warin Congo. 21 The operation, terminated in June 1964, was a success as by theend of the operation all foreign troops had been withdrawn from Congo;the secession of Katanga had been ended without a bloodbath; and anational reconciliation government had been installed. ONUC wassignificant in the sense that it was the first multi-dimensional peacekeepingoperation which combined traditional peacekeeping tasks with importantcivilian activities of a political and humanitarian nature. Also, it was theonly peacekeeping operation during the Cold War period for which theSecurity Council had authorised the use of force, considering this as anexceptional, last resort, and beyond self-defence measure. 22Another major UN peacekeeping operation was initiated in Cyprus which,however, continued for a considerably long period. Established in March1964 by the Security Council resolution 186 (1964), 23 United NationsPeacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) was in response to the conflictsbetween the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot communities in theindependent Cyprus island state created in the year 1960. The role of theUNFICYP was to preserve international peace and security; preventrecurrence of fighting; contribute to the maintenance and restoration of law& order; and return the island to normal conditions. 24 UNFICYP, throughthe use of persuasion, negotiations, and interposition, tried to stop the21Republic of the Congo-ONUC Mandate. At: http://www.un.org/Depts/DPKO/Missions/onucM.htm(last visited Jan. 8, 2009)22Ram, Sunil. The History of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations During the Cold War: 1945 to1987 (2006) New York: UNITAR- POCI. Langholtz Series Edition23UNIFICYP Background. At: http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/unficyp/background.shtml(last visited Jan. 09, 2009)24Ram, Sunil. The History of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations During the Cold War: 1945 to1987 (2006) New York: UNITAR- POCI. Langholtz Series Edition