effectiveness of UN peacekeeping forces

As the first large-scale mission since the creation of the UN, The United Nations organization in the Congo (ONUC) was significant in terms of the great responsibilities it had to assume, the size of the operation, its unusual use of force and its failure to remain impartial. Indeed, due to the growing challenges of the operation, ONUC which began as a peace-keeping mission, peaceful in its nature shifted to a peace enforcement mission which allowed the use of force in order to prevent the occurrence of civil war (Fargo, 2006). Due to its complex character, the following brief account of the crisis in The Congo between 1960-1964 will be helpful in adjudicating the mandate of the mission, its changing priorities and its specific limitations within a rigid bi-polar context.
The Congo’s independence from Belgium in 1960 proved to be a hasty and chaotic transition from colony to the independent Democratic Republic of the Congo. Indeed, “Inadequately prepared, the Congolese independence led directly to the mutiny of the Congolese army” (McDonald, year). To add to the disorder, the mineral-rich area of Katanga was declared independent by Moise Tshombe, deepening the situation and expanding the already heavy responsibility of the UN mandate in the region.
In response to the tumultuous situation, Belgium intervened militarily, driving the Congolese government to request UN military assistance “to protect the national territory of the Congo against external aggression.”

At the height of the cold war resolution 143, was adopted at a rare moment of consensus between the superpowers. Two days after the request, contingents began to arrive in the democratic republic of the Congo, provided by a number of countries including Asian and African ...

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...stration Mission in Kosovo was established in response to the Kosovo War, a conflict between Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), which controlled Kosovo, and the Kosvo Albanian rebel group. The war in Kosovo saw great violations of human rights, 'the excessive and indiscriminate use of force by Serbian security forces and the Yugoslav Army',(UNCR). In response to the atrocities the international community had to provide an interim system of governance for Kosovo, “Without such governance, the chaotic situation would present a continuing threat of escalating violence and regional instabilities as well as serious humanitarian crisis.(Matheson, YEAR)” That is how UNMIK was established, This mission was an unprecedented case for global governance as the security council gave UNMIK authority over the territory and people of Kosovo.(UN website).

Works Cited

UN website