The Role of the UN and the International Community Assignment.
Apart from other aspects that contribute to the survival of human beings, peace and security is among the list. The need to save succeeding generations from the scourge of violence and war is part of human endeavors. To ensure such, man has formed certain bodies and organizations to oversee such. The United Nations whose founders were persons who lived through the devastating effects of the two world wars is one such body entitled with ensuring that disputes likely to escalate into wars are prevented while mechanisms for restoring peace and stability are pursued. The Role of the UN and the International Community Assignment. This paper seeks to establish the role of the United Nations and the International Community in preventing, mitigating, managing or resolving deadly internal conflicts affecting a host of countries across the universe. More importantly, this paper will review the roles of the UN by narrowing its study to the African continent where an upsurge of civil wars has been on the rise since the end of the Cold War. To show more relevance, Rwanda will be the focal point of this study as it provides sufficient evidence and data to the question under study. This paper will seek highlight how the General Assembly is structured as this is where several charters that established the Security Council exist. Later on we will analyze its roles or duties. The Role of the UN and the International Community Assignment.Theoretical causes of internal conflicts in Africa and more so in Rwanda will be highlighted not forgetting the efforts taken by the Security Council to prevent and resolve such conflicts. The data gathered will mainly come from secondary sources such as books, journals,
printed material, and the internet. Of importance though, this paper will seek to review mainstream empirical literature on the roles of the United Nations and the Security Council on matters to do with ensuring peace and stability. As earlier postulated theoretical causes of what triggers violent conflicts in Africa and other places will be highlighted but avenues for future studies will be left open as changes are bound to occur in future in regard to the causation of conflicts. The Role of the UN and the International Community Assignment.
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Many countries across the world have at one point or the other witnessed the aspect of internal conflicts often resulting into civil wars. In fact, throughout the 1990s, civil wars were the dominant form of warfare especially in majority of African countries. After the end of the Cold War, majority of African countries underwent dramatic and profound changes. Democratically elected governments were installed across many African countries. Additionally, many warring parties and groups signed peace agreements to end years of war and focus on developmental issues (Stephen, 2000). Undoubtedly, all these were positive sins of stability, progress and development in Africa and other parts of the world. However, while majority of countries across the globe moved towards stability while realizing political and economic developments, Africa remained as one of the areas associated with instability. Political insecurity coupled with violent conflicts significantly increased as internal warfare flared up in a host of countries across the continent. However, against such a backdrop, peace and peacemaking activities were necessary to stop or completely reduce such conflicts that hampered progress in Africa. With that, the UN and the international community saw the need to step in and prevent, mitigate and resolve such conflicts despite less attention from the international community earlier (Stephen, 2000). The Role of the UN and the International Community Assignment.
In Africa, majority of societal conflicts are often influenced by a number of issues. Most
theories that attempt to explain the reason as to why violent conflicts of arise point to two
aspects. They are structural causes of conflict and triggering factors (Severine, 2002). Theories
of structural aspects in conflict causation argues that factors such as political and socio-economic
causes in terms of wealth distribution, wealth distribution, ethnic make-up, and inter-ethnic
relations may increase a society’s vulnerability to war. Instances of deep poverty, ethnicity,
illiteracy, and weak systems of government in place triggers war (Severine, 2002). Subsequently,
majority of African countries cannot match the terms of trade existing in the globe while
majority of them are grappling with indebtedness and instances of administrative failures. In
addition, majority of African states have failed to respond adequately to the social needs or
welfare of their citizens. More worrying, Africa’s insecurity has been evidenced by the traumatic
episodes or instances of collapsed and even collapsing states (Stephen, 2000). The Role of the UN and the International Community Assignment.As it seems,
collapsed states in Africa have seen destructive spillover effects on other neighboring countries.
This has led to the overflow of refugees, increased ethnic tensions resulting to diplomatic negotiations and even conflicts with stable countries sharing borders with collapse states
(Stephen, 2000). Triggering factors on the other hand consist of political developments or tones
that may incite one group against the other (Stephen, 2000). Even though the international
community and other bodies once regarded such as internal or domestic conflicts of warring parties in different states, its harmful effects did attract their attention. Indeed, external actors and bodies such as the United Nations (UN) have been drawn into what was technically a civil with purposes of restoring peace and security.
As we have seen above, the primary purpose of the United Nations is ensuring peace and
stability. However, it is important to understand the structure of the United Nations. Its structure
is based around its charter that consists of 111 articles which explain how the United Nations
work (UN Structure and Security Council Role, 2014). For instance, the Charter has established
six parts of the United Nations. First, there is the General Assembly whose mandate is to discuss
and make decisions on issues of international peace and security. Secondly, there is the Security
Council whose chief mandate is for purposes of maintaining peace and security at an
international level. Other charters are the Economic and Social Council tasked with improving
the socio-economic wellbeing of individuals living within member states. The Role of the UN and the International Community Assignment.The fourth charter is
the International Court of Justice which is responsible for resolving border disputes in many
places across the globe. Lastly, there is the secretariat which is the body that runs the United
Nations (UN Structure and Security Council Role, 2014). Our focus though is on the Security
Council. This paper will attempt to analyze the primary functions of the Security Council mainly
of matter to do with maintaining peace and security at an international level. Our main focus
however will be on roles played by the United Nations and the Security Council in preventing,
mitigating, managing and resolving deadly internal conflicts in Rwanda. The Role of the UN and the International Community Assignment.
Rwanda is regarded as one of the success stories in Africa and all over the world on
matters to do with ethnic cohesion and the relative peace in the region that has existed for over
one decade (Walls, 2005). However, such did not come easy. As we may know, Rwanda
underwent some of the worst ethnic fighting in 1994 that left more than 800,000 people dead in a
period of three months. Before we go far, the genesis of such wars began with instances of
fighting between the Armed Forces comprising of majority Hutus who were in government and
the Tutsi-led Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF) (Walls, 2005). For long, the Tutsis felt that they
had been sidelined on matters to do with the running of the state hence beginning their struggle. The Role of the UN and the International Community Assignment.
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The first conflict began in 1990 but was later calmed down by negotiations between the
surrounding neighbors of Uganda and Tanzania. However, such agreements to pursue peace and
progress did not last for long and in 1993, hostilities resumed again (Stephen, 2000).
As indicated before, one of the chief mandates of the United Nations and the Security
Council is conflict prevention, peace-keeping, and fostering peace-building efforts across all
member countries. Through its charter, majority of conflicts that had once reached boiling points
have been prevented. In fact, it is noted that through the intervention of the UN, a number of
conflicts in countries such as the ones in El Salvador, Sierra Leone, Namibia, Liberia, Burundi,
Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Kosovo amongst others were brought to an end
(Turner, 2014). With this in mind, and an ongoing war in Rwanda, the United Nations under the
Security Council under resolution 872 (1993) established the United Nations Assistance Mission
for Rwanda (UNAMIR) with a purpose of bringing warring parties into a common ground
(Ambibola & Dominic, 2013). Here we see the United Nations effort involvement in trying to
bring peace in a number of countries. In Rwanda, the deployment of UNAMIR battalion in
Kigali was composed of contingents sourced from Bangladesh and Belgium whose purpose was
to ensure that warring parties do not engage in wars and conflicts (Walls, 2015). The Role of the UN and the International Community Assignment.
In April 1994, Rwanda witnessed one of the darkest moments in history as violence
between ethnic communities began after the killing of the country’s president who was returning
from peace talks in the neighboring Tanzania. The killings targeted Cabinet ministers, the Prime
Minister and also the UNAMIR peacekeepers under the United Nations. In addition, the killings
did go on as Tutsis and moderate Hutus became targets. The Tutsi rebels once again reconvened
to push for their cause thereby displacing more than 280,000 people making them seek refuge in
Tanzania while others crossed to Zaire (Ambibola & Dominic, 2013). However, the UN and the
Security Council did not relent as they provided medical and other emergency services on an
unprecedented scale. In fact, UNAMIR went ahead and tried to arrange for talks to end the
ceasefire despite facing constant attacks and deaths to some of its staff members. Even though it
was later passed that the number of soldiers under UNAMIR should be reduced, those who were
left behind continued providing shelter and security to thousands of people who sought shelter at
places under UNAMIR control (Turner, 2014). The Role of the UN and the International Community Assignment.
In an effort to reduce if not completely eliminate the fighting that was taking place, the
United Nations and the Security Council stuck to its mandate of mitigating conflicts by adopting resolution 918 (1994). Resolution 918 (1994), sought to impose a ban or an embargo for arms
against Rwanda (Turk, 2001). In addition, it emphasized on urgent measures to be undertaken by
the international community on matters to do with increasing the strength of UNAMIR troops
from 2,548 to 5,500 troops (Turk, 2001). Furthermore, with an initiative of ensuring the security
of the citizens in Rwanda, the United Nations and the Security Council went ahead and adopted
resolution 929 (1994) on the 22 nd of June 1994. The resolution authorized for humanitarian
assistance to be undertaken in Rwanda to help the citizens who were facing ill health, hunger,
and other unforeseen consequences of the civil war. In fact, France is regarded as one of the
pioneer countries of this project as it carried out “Operation Turquoise” of ensuring that certain
zones were protected for purposes of offering humanitarian assistance such as food and medical
supplies (Ambibola & Dominic, 2013). In addition, United Nation appealed for humanitarian
assistance in Rwanda and it was successful in raising more than $762 million to help majority of
citizens in Rwanda (Turk, 2001). The Role of the UN and the International Community Assignment.
At the end of the Rwandan genocide, damning statistics indicated that more than half a
million people perished while more than 2 million individuals became refugees nit forgetting 2
million more who were displaced internally (Walls, 2015). The Security Council through
UNAMIR, however, did not leave once the civil war was over. They sought to ensure that the
fragile peace will continue and months after the war, UNAMIR continued with its efforts of
fostering peace and stability, offering humanitarian assistance, helping refugees and the
internally displaced persons to settle, and also clearing landmines that were still on the several
locations across Rwanda (Walls, 2015). The Role of the UN and the International Community Assignment.
The aftermath of the Rwandan civil war left the country in ruins. Through the United
Nations Development Programme, the United Nations and the Security Council sought to help
Rwanda towards reconstruction efforts. Months of war led to the destruction of basic
infrastructure across the entire part of the country and the need to rebuild the country was
supported by the United Nations. The United Nations is regarded as one of the international
actors who assisted in the reconstruction of Rwanda as they sought for donor funds with
international donors pledging over $617 million aimed at restoring the country towards the paths
of progress (UN Structure and Security Council Role, 2014). In addition, United Nations agencies did continue their efforts of providing humanitarian assistance to returning refugees and
those who were internally displaced by the civil war.
To show its commitment to ensuring peace, progress, and justice in Rwanda, the United
Nations under the Security Council established an International Tribunal for Rwanda. The sole
purpose of establishing such a body was for ensuring that the perpetrators or persons responsible
for planning, financing, and executing the Rwandan genocide were brought to book (). This body
was to be located in Arusha, Tanzania and true to its mandate, the tribunal overseen by the
United Nations and the Security Council issued some of its initial indictments in 1995 with trials
taking place soon after in 1997 (UN Structure and Security Council Role, 2014).
With all the above arguments, we are then able to understand a lot of issues in relation to
the roles of the UN as a body called upon to prevent various disputes from escalating into war
while helping in restoring peace in the event that armed conflict breaks out. However, the United
Nations and the Security Council has not been immune from criticism. In Rwanda for instance,
some critics have argued that the United Nations failed terribly. Several questions have been put
across whose answers have sometimes been difficult to answer. For instance, why did the UN
reduce the number of UNAMIR soldiers from 2,548 to 207 at the height of the war? Why did it
take more than five months to authorize UNAMIR troops while thousands of citizens were being
killed? Did the UN really do enough to prevent the war? These and a host of other questions did
paint the UNs mission in Rwanda as a failure (Walls, 2015). The Role of the UN and the International Community Assignment.
In an effort to find the answers to the above questions that continued to haunt the United
Nations and its Member States when the crisis was at its highest levels and soon after it ended,
an independent commission of inquiry was set to look into the above actions. In December 1999,
the findings and the report of the commission was made public. As expected, the inquiry did
conclude that indeed the United Nations and the Security Council did fail in Rwanda ().
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However, they argued that lack of resources, the political will, and to some extent the error in
judgment in regard to the nature of events in Rwanda contributed to its failure. In a move to
express remorse over the failure of the United Nations and the Security Council to prevent the
Rwandan genocide, the then Secretary General (Koffi Annan) faced the press and said that he
fully accepted the conclusions of the commission’s report (White, 2014). He vowed that the findings in the report will act as lessons and that no such acts should be allowed to take place in future. The Role of the UN and the International Community Assignment.
In conclusion, wars and conflicts have always been a common occurrence in a host of
countries across the globe. Instances of ethnic violence, rebel movements, and other uprisings
have been experienced in many countries across the globe. Such conflicts results in a host of
negative consequences. Basic infrastructure that took years to build gets destroyed in minutes;
family bondages are broken as displacements take place. Lives are lost as property worth
millions are looted and destroyed. The basic fabric that makes up a society is left in tatters as
people move to other areas to avoid harm. Wars do not just happen. Several forces activate them.
Imbalance in the society, propagandist tones, poverty, negative ethnicity and illiteracy amongst
others are part of the catalysts. Lessons from war have been bitter. Human beings have gone
ahead and formed mechanisms or bodies such as the UN chattered with ensuring that deaths
resulting from violent conflicts are avoided. Despite some dissenting criticisms from several
quarters, the UN and the Security Council have done a commendable job in preventing,
mitigating, and ending some conflicts in many parts across the globe. The Role of the UN and the International Community Assignment.
References
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Severine, M. R (2002). Conflict Management in Africa Diagnosis of Current Practices and
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Türk, D. (2001). The Role of the UN Security Council in Preventing Internal Conflicts.
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White, D. (2014). An African Holocaust. History Today, 64(6), 40-46. The Role of the UN and the International Community Assignment.