OnMay31,acarbombstruckthecampoftheUNMultidimensionalIntegratedStabilizationMissioninMali(MINUSMA)inGao,anortherntownintheWestAfricanstate,killingaChinesepeacekeeper.ItwasthesecondterroristattacktargetingMINUSMAwithinaweek.OnMay29,aUNmotorcadewasambushedinthetownofSevareincentralMali,killingfivepeacekeepers.
Thesamemonth,aseriesofhitsonMINUSMAclaimedaltogether12livesandinjuredmanymore.Sinceitsinceptionin2013,theUNmissioninMalihaslostmorethan60lives,makingittheUN鈥檚deadliestpeacekeepingoperation.
SuccessiveterroristattackstargetingpeacekeepersreflectthedeteriorationinthesecuritysituationinMali.TheinternationalcommunityhasbeenshowingconcernsaboutthesafetyoftheBlueHelmets,asthepeacekeepersarecalled.Chinafacesahardandurgenttask:howtodischargeitsinternationalobligationsandyetkeepitspeacekeeperssafe.
TheChinesepeacekeepingcontingenttofacethelatestattackhadarrivedinMali,wherenumerousarmedorganizationsareactive,inMay.Comprisingmilitaryengineers,securitypersonnelandmedicalstaff,itistobedeployedthereforayear.
AnaffiliateofAlQaedainNorthAfricaclaimedresponsibilityfortherecentattackontheMINUSMAcamp.ThesamegrouphadlaunchedaseriesofattacksintheNorthAfrica-Sahararegion,includingthecarnageintheRadissonBluHotelinBamako,capitalofMali,inNovember.Twentypeoplewerekilled,includingthreeChinese.
However,theterroristorganizationisnottargetingtheChinesespecifically.ItsintentionissimplytodisrupttheneutralandpeacefulmissionoftheBlueHelmetsandithasbeenattackingthemregardlessoftheirnationalities.ForChina,thetragedyindicatesthatthoughtheChineseforeignpolicyofpeacefulco-existenceandnon-interferenceintheinternalaffairsofothercountriesisrespectedbytheworldcommunity,ithowevercannotguaranteethesafetyoftheChinesepeacekeepersonhazardousUNmissions.
BlueHelmetsareatconstantriskwhenonmissionsinterritoriesseepedinconflict.AccordingtoUNSecretaryGeneralBanKi-moon,129peacekeepersdiedwhileondutyin2015alone.
ChinabeganparticipatingintheworkoftheUNDepartmentofPeacekeepingOperationsin1988,sendingitsfirsttroopsforUNpeacekeepingmissionsthefollowingyear.Overthelast27years,ofthefivepermanentmembersoftheUNSecurityCouncil,whichalsoincludesFrance,Russia,theUnitedKingdomandtheUnitedStates,Chinahasdispatchedthelargestnumberofpeacekeepers.Morethan3,000Chinesehavebeentakingpartinmorethan20peacekeepingmissions.
ChinaisalsothesecondlargestfinancialcontributortoUNpeacekeepingmissions,behindonlytheUnitedStates.Overthenextthreeyears,Chinawillshare10.2percentoftheworldbody鈥檚totalexpensesinthisregard.DuringtheUNSummitinNewYorkCityinSeptember2015,ChinesePresidentXiJinpingpledgedthatChinawouldcontribute8,000troopsfortheUNpeacekeepingstandbyforce.
China,owingtoitsincreasednationalstrength,istryingtoassumeagreaterroleininternationalaffairsundertheUNframework,asexpectedbytheinternationalcommunity.Ontheotherhand,Chinesepeacekeepersarefacinggrowingsafetyrisks.Underthecircumstances,itisanurgenttaskforChinatoavoidrisksandreducelosseswhileimplementingitsinternationalobligations.Whileactivelyparticipatinginpeacekeepingmissions,effortsshouldalsobemadetoavoidrisksandminimizecasualties.
Inthisregard,thereareseverallessonsforChina.InJuly2006,aUNobservationpointontheIsrael-Lebanonbordersufferedartillerystrikes,inwhichaChineseofficerwasfatallyinjured.InOctober2005,aChinesesoldierwaskilledbygunshotsinLiberia.InMay1993,rocketshellspiercedaChinesepeacekeepercampinCambodia,killingtwoandinjuringseven.
Thus,anurgentmatterforChina鈥檚policymakersshouldbeassessingriskstopeacekeepersincomplexandvariedenvironments.Inconsiderationofgeopoliticalfactors,religiousconflictsandrampantterroristactivities,theChineseGovernmentshouldexercisegreaterprudencebeforedecidingwhethertoparticipateinsuchoperations.
Infact,therewassomeconcernoverChina鈥檚decisiontosendpeacekeep-erstoMaliin2013afterMINUSMAwasestablishedtosupportreconciliationbetweenthenorthandsouthandcarryoutsecurity-relatedtasks.
TheconflictinMaliishighlycomplexwithsomerebelgroupsfosteringtieswithinternationalterrororganizations.Frenchsecurityinvolvementhascompoundedthiscomplexity.Asaresult,theconflictinMalihasbeenlabeledbothareligiouswarandaclashofcivilizations.
ToFrance,Malihasbecomeabloodybattlefieldinthefightagainstterrorism.ButtoMalianrebels,theircountryrepresentsthefrontlineagainstWestern鈥渃rusaders.鈥漊ndersuchcircumstances,peacekeepersfaceanear-impossibletaskofnotbeingaffectedbyhatredofforeigninterference.
AftertheGaoattack,BanoutlinedmeasurestostrengthenMINUSMA.Hisproposalsincludeincreasingthenumberofpeacekeepersandpoliceby2,500.HisproposalsaretobedeliberatedbytheUNSecurityCouncil.
ChinaneedstoreconsideritsroleinMINUSMAandevaluatetheprevalentdangersinMali.ParticipatinginpeacekeepingoperationsisaninternationalobligationthatChinashouldfulfillasabig,responsiblecountry.However,thoughChinesepeacekeepersarerequiredtoadheretotheUNpeacekeepingprinciplesofconsentoftheparties,impartialityandnon-useofforceexceptinself-defenseanddefenseofthemandate,theChineseGovernmentshouldconsiderwheretosenditspeacekeepers.
Ofcourse,casualtiesareinevitablewhileundertakingpeacekeepingoperations.ThereforeChinamustmakeevengreatereffortstoenhancethesafetyofitspeacekeepersandincreasetheirabilitytocopewithmultiplethreatsinturbulentregions.
ThoughChinesepeacekeepersarerequiredtoadheretotheUNpeacekeepingprinciplesofconsentoftheparties,impartialityandnon-useofforceexceptinself-defenseanddefenseofthemandate,theChineseGovernmentshouldconsiderwheretosenditspeacekeepers.
MaXiaolin,ProfessorofInternationalStudies,BeijingForeignStudiesUniversity
China鈥檚RoleintheMaliMission
祿2013:ChinasentthefirstpeacekeepingcontingenttoMaliaftertheWestAfricannationplungedintochaosandviolencefollowingamilitarycoupandarmedattacksin2012.
Sofar,Chinahassentfourcontingents,consistentlycontributingtoMali鈥檚peaceprocess.
Thethirdcontingentwasreplacedbythefourthconsistingof395peacekeepersinMay.
Attheendofthethirdcontingent鈥檚mission,theUNMultidimensionalIntegratedStabilizationMissioninMaliissuedastatement,laudingChina鈥檚roleinpreservingpeaceandstabilityintheregion.祿2015:Inthesecondhalfoftheyear,ChinesepeacekeepersinMalitackledover90incidentsincludingbombthreatsandterroristattacks.
ChineseBlueHelmetshavealsohelpedalocalcommunitybuildafootballpitch.
Atpresent,morethan2,400ChinesepeacekeepersareoperatinginsevenAfricantaskareas,includingLiberiaandtheDemocraticRepublicoftheCongo,accordingtotheMinistryofForeignAffairs.
(Source:XinhuaNewsAgency)
DoctorsfromtheChinesepeacekeepingcontingentprovidefreemedicalservicetolocalpeopleinGao,northMali,onOctober31,2015