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UN / FORCE COMMANDERS
STORY: UN / FORCE COMMANDERS
TRT: 02:11
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 23 MAY 2017, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
RECENT - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior, UN headquarter
23 MAY 2017, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Med shot, delegates
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Liutenant General Derick Mbuyselo Mgwebi, Force Commander, MONUSCO:
“Impartiality and all the principles, valid as they are probably in more peacekeeping, but in peace enforcement and where there is no agreement signed, how do we deal with these principles of peacekeeping in today’s conflict situation where we find ourselves dealing with more criminal groupings than political groupings?”
5. Med shot, delegates
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Liutenant General Derick Mbuyselo Mgwebi, Force Commander, MONUSCO:
“For us it is a challenge to work with the armed forces of the DRC, especially in politically charged areas like the Kasais, and where in terms of cooperating with it becomes difficult when they are also being found to be committing human rights violations.”
7. Med shot, delegates
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Liutenant General Derick Mbuyselo Mgwebi, Force Commander, MONUSCO:
“The interpretation by some contingents on the ground is not necessarily the same and they tend to be eager to use force when it comes to self-defence. But that part which spe4aks to use of force for the defence of the mandate becomes different interpretation, different understanding which we need to look at.”
9. Med shot, delegates
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Major General Jai Shanker Menon, Force Commander, UNDOF:
“Peacekeeping is not just worthwhile, it is essential. As Hammarskjold said, the UN wasn’t created to take mankind into paradise, but rather, to save humanity from hell. Peacekeepers all over the world try to meet this challenge on a daily basis. Some of our peacekeepers die trying to achieve it, as we have so tragically seen only recently in the Central African Republic, and yesterday in Chad. Our challenge is to ensure that the ends, ways and means required are available to give our peacekeepers the best possible chance of success.”
11. Wide shot, Security Council
Ahead of Peacekeeping Day, marked on 29 May, United Nations peacekeeping operations force commanders today (23 May) discussed the challenges posed to military operations.
At a Security Council session on this topic, Liutenant General Derick Mbuyselo Mgwebi, Force Commander of the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) addressed several issues of concern.
Mbuyselo Mgwebi asked “in peace enforcement and where there is no agreement signed, how do we deal with these principles of peacekeeping in today’s conflict situation where we find ourselves dealing with more criminal groupings than political groupings?”
On working alongside the Congolese Armed Forces, he said “for us it is a challenge to work with the armed forces of the DRC, especially in politically charged areas like the Kasais, and where in terms of cooperating with it becomes difficult when they are also being found to be committing human rights violations.”
He also noted that the different military contingents have a different interpretation of the rules of engagement and “they tend to be eager to use force when it comes to self-defence, but that part which speaks to use of force for the defence of the mandate becomes different interpretation, different understanding which we need to look at.”
Major General Jai Shanker Menon, Force Commander of UNDOF, told the Council that “peacekeeping is not just worthwhile, it is essential.”
Quoting former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld, he said “the UN wasn’t created to take mankind into paradise, but rather, to save humanity from hell.”
He added that "Peacekeepers all over the world try to meet this challenge on a daily basis. Some of our peacekeepers die trying to achieve it, as we have so tragically seen only recently in the Central African Republic, and yesterday in Chad. Our challenge is to ensure that the ends, ways and means required are available to give our peacekeepers the best possible chance of success.”
Peacekeeping Day was established to honour the memory of the UN peacekeepers who have lost their lives in the cause of peace as well as to pay tribute to all the men and women who have served and continue to serve in UN peacekeeping operations for their high level of professionalism, dedication and courage.
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