The Military Role in Modern Peace Support Operations

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The Military Role in Modern Peace Support
Operations
By Major General Tim Ford, AO (Retd) Previous
Military Adviser DPKO
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Peace Support Operations

• Includes
• Peace Operations
• Peacekeeping and Peace-Building
• Crisis Response Operations
• Post Conflict Activities
• Security and Stability Operations
• Growth Area for Militaries and Police over the
  last 15 years
• Conducted by UN , Regional Organisations and
  Coalitions

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Troops 62,570 Civpol 6,466 UNMOs 2,214
Total 71,250
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Modern Peace Support Operations

• Complex Mandates
• Multi-dimensional, multinational, multicultural
• May be Hybrid Operations
• May be associated with other regional operations
• Involve a wide range of internal and external
  actors

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Modern Peace Support Operations

• Principal role of the military is to provide
  security
• Peace may be fragile or weak
• Priority to assist the peace process to mature
  and develop
• Military and Police provide an enabling
  environment for other components and actors
• FC part of the leadership team

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PSO Mandates

• Very Complex. See Mandates UNMIL, MONUC, UNMIB
• Many tasks and responsibilities
• Include multiple standard elements
• Include Post Conflict Peace Building tasks
• Include Responsibility to protect civilians in
  imminent threat

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Military Component

• Will probably include armed contingents and
  unarmed military observers (UNMOs) from many
  Troop Contributing Countries
• Needs combat, combat support and logistic support
  capabilities
• Will integrate support with civilian component
• Needs a robust reserve

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Rules of Engagement

• Will be clear and designed to control force,
  rather than limit it
• Based on graduated response
• Will allow deadly force for self defence and
  protection of civilians
• Will support robust actions where appropriate
• See ROE Haiti and DRC

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UNSCR 1592 (2005)

• 7. Emphasizing that MONUC is authorised to use
  all necessary means within its capabilities and
  in areas where its armed units are deployed, to
  deter any attempt at the use of force to threaten
  the political process and to ensure the
  protection of civilians under imminent threat of
  physical violence, from any armed group, foreign
  or Congolese, in particular the ex-FAR and
  Interhamwe, encourages MONUC in this regard to
  continue to make full use of its mandate under
  Resolution 1565 in the eastern part of the DRC ,
  and stresses that, in accordance with the
  mandate, MONUC may use cordon and search tactics
  to prevent attacks on civilians and disrupt the
  military capacity of illegal armed groups that
  continue to use violence in those areas.

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Integrated Missions

• Leadership team must be integrated
• Need for Communication, Cooperation,
  Coordination and Consensus
• Must develop an agreed and flexible Mandate
  Implementation Plan
• Joint Operations (JOC, JLOC, JMAC)
• Plan transition from conflict to stability and
  sustainment

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Likely Phases of Peace Operations

• Phase 1
• Conflict Resolution
• Physical Security
• Humanitarian Relief
• Phase 2
• Development of Government
• Security Sector Reform
• Development programs
• Phase 3
• Social Reconstruction
• Economic Reconstruction

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Possible Military Tasks

• Provide security by patrols and operations
• Monitor, investigate and report violations
• Protect vital installations and key
  infrastructure
• Protect civilians
• Assist DDR
• Assist SSR
• Assist and protect returning refugees and
  IDPs

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Possible Military Tasks (2)

• Assist Rule of Law programs
• Support Mine Action programs
• Support elections
• Assist Humanitarian Action
• Assist social and economic reconstruction
• Work closely with the UN Country Team

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Modern Peace Support Operations

• Importance of planning
• Contingents must be properly trained, equipped
  and sustained by contributors
• Integration is essential
• Actions must be coordinated by prioritising,
  harmonising and sequencing with other actors
• Security is paramount

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QUESTIONS