New Delhi: India sent the highest number of troops to the UN peacekeeping operations last year, keeping up its tradition of being among the largest contributors to the force.
In its report ‘Multilateral Peace Operations in 2023: Developments and trends’, released this week, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) states that India sent 5,901 troops on various peacekeeping missions across the globe. Nepal comes a close second at 5,878 troops.
Among India’s South Asian neighbours, Bangladesh and Pakistan were among the top 10 contributors. While Bangladesh stood in fourth place with 5,393 troops, Pakistan, in seventh place, sent 4,299.
The report states that three overall trends that were identified in 2022 “continued and intensified in multilateral peace operations in 2023”. These included the increasing effects of geopolitical rivalries, the growing tensions in relations between peace operations and their host countries, and the increasing regionalisation of peace operations.
A total of 63 multilateral peace operations were active in 37 countries or territories around the world — one less than in 2022. With Sub-Saharan Africa engulfed in violence, the region recorded 24 UN peacekeeping operations — the highest number in the world.
Further, 19 operations are ongoing in Europe, 14 in the Middle East and North Africa, and three each in Asia and the Americas.
A total of 100,568 international personnel were deployed to multilateral peace operations — 13 percent less than last year. Of these, 76,372 personnel were deployed in sub-Saharan Africa alone, an 18 percent drop from the year before.
The report also showed that the peacekeeping force had begun new operations in countries like Armenia, Moldova, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The EU Partnership Mission in the Republic of Moldova (EUPM Moldova) was established on 24 April last year at the request of the Moldovan government on the back of Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine.
The country has suffered security issues such as an influx of refugees, an energy crisis, and violations of its airspace by Russian missiles, the report said.
The mission of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC) was established on 8 May, 2023, to support the Congolese army in fighting armed groups in eastern DRC.
The European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA), established on 23 January last year, succeeded the 2022 EU Monitoring Capacity to Armenia (EUMCAP). The aim of this mission is to “observe and report on the security situation along the Armenian side of the international border with Azerbaijan”.
Meanwhile, peacekeeping operations were terminated in countries such as Mali, Sudan, and Central African Republic (CAR).
Also Read: India remains world’s largest arms importer, France overtakes Russia in global sales, finds SIPRI