Deployed to the Central African Republic (CAR) at a critical time – with the country on edge, on the eve of the 27 December 2020 general elections – peacekeepers from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have since been assisting their MINUSCA counterparts in carrying out their mandate.
The UNMISS blue helmets – 300 Rwandan peacekeeping troops and a 53-strong team of the Sri Lankan Aviation Unit – are in CAR under the umbrella of inter-mission cooperation.
The first group to arrive in Bangui made the two-hour flight from Juba on 24 December 2020: timely reinforcements in the face of a mounting security crisis as election day approached and a new rebel alliance formed by several major armed groups in the Central African Republic, threatened to disrupt the elections and march on to capture the country’s capital Bangui.
Inter-mission cooperation for impactful peacekeeping
The MINUSCA Force Commander, Lieutenant General Daniel Sidiki Traoré, explained that “the collaboration between the two neighbouring Missions came about because of the crisis we went through and that we are still going through. Troops and helicopters were sent to shore up the MINUSCA capacity, to better protect the population against the coalition that wanted to disrupt the election process by spreading violence throughout the country”.
Inter-mission cooperation involves the temporary transfer or sharing of personnel and other resources between missions, particularly those in proximity to one another, to allow for a prompt response to the demands of peacekeeping. The aim of the UNMISS-MINUSCA partnership is to strengthen the protection of civilians and support the peace process in the CAR. Deployment to the Central African Republic was completed within a week.
The visiting peacekeepers’ integration into MINUSCA work was just as fast paced; they got to work right away. Significantly, the Rwandan UNMISS blue helmets were instrumental in ensuring the security of polling stations and voters alike on election day. They have been tasked with assuring the security of key institutions in the Central African Republic as well as UN personnel and property and have helped reassure the population and secure Bangui and its surrounding localities through regular patrols.
They have also played a central role in stabilization efforts. Working together with the Central African Armed Forces, UNMISS-MINUSCA troops stationed at the PK-25 bridge crossing in Begoua – at the strategic northern exit of Bangui – acted as a blocking force to prevent attacks on the city in the wake of the 13 January attack on Bangui.
Similarly, the Sri Lankan team has provided aviation support through military flights to Bambari, Bocaranga, Bossangoa, Bouar, Berberati, Grimari, Bossembele and Sibut. They conduct intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance and support contingents on the ground – they were on hand to provide aerial support for humanitarian aid convoys following a 50-day blockade of road transport on the key route between the Cameroonian border and the Central African capital by rebel groups, in an attempt to cut off the city’s lifeline.
Integration is key
The reinforcements have had to adapt quickly – not only to a new context but also to implementing a mandate with different rules of engagement. The similarities between the UNMISS and MINUSCA mandates notwithstanding – with the protection of civilians as a key objective of both Missions – the transition has still required adjustment. “The new assignment brought a change in tasks and mentality. Our focus has had to turn to peace enforcement,” noted Lieutenant Colonel Asanka Ratnayake, Commander of the UNMISS Sri Lankan Aviation Unit.
Moreover, the move has not been without logistical challenges – although the integration of the Rwandan UN troops into MINUSCA day-to-day work was made easier by the presence of their countrymen already in the Mission.
Strengthening preparedness and response
The additional boots on the grounds have provided much-needed respite at a time when MINUSCA resources were stretched in the face of mounting instability in parts of the country following the elections. They have helped to meet both preparedness and response needs, according to the MINUSCA Force Commander: “The presence of the UNMISS blue helmets allowed us to free up some of our capacity. The Mission can now rely on the Rwandan troops already in the country as a Quick Reaction Force and other members of the Force can be deployed to the interior of the country.”
“We have worked to reduce MINUSCA’s load and close potential gaps to boost peacekeeping efforts through providing additional security,” said the UNMISS-MINUSCA Commanding Officer Major Mpfizi, echoing the very essence of inter-mission cooperation as a key tool to fill gaps in personnel or equipment, through sharing resources, particularly during critical periods such as mission set-up, elections and all manner of crises.
“If there was no inter-mission cooperation, it would have to be created,” emphasized General Traoré while expressing gratitude for the speed with which deployment of the support troops was conducted. He described the experience as an all-important mechanism for mutual support between Missions to address urgent situations and promote effective peacekeeping.
“Calm has returned to Bangui and many other parts of the country since the UNMISS peacekeepers have been working hand in hand with MINUSCA and the national authorities. They were initially deployed for two months but our joint work is not finished yet. We’d like to keep them with us to finish what we started,” he said.