Wenyi Lai, 11/5/00
Class: International Organization and Their Management
Professor: Ambassador Kamal
Title:The Examination of the UN Peacekeeping Missions
Somalia 1992~1995
Introduction
The UN peacekeeping missions in Somalia began in April 1992 when the Security Council
created UNOSOM to monitor a cease-fire in Somalia・s civil conflict, to provide protection and
security for UN personnel, equipment and supplies, and to escort and distribute deliveries of
humanitarian supplies. But later, the mission involved the dilemma of peacekeeping and
peacemaking. Finally, the UN mission withdrew from Somalia and it also contributed to the US
opposition to the UN・s role and failure of Boutros-Ghali・s additional term. In this short essay, I
will illustrate the mission・s success and failure and offer my suggestions.
Success and Failure
In general, we can outline the assumptions of peacekeeping mission in three points to examine
the UN peacekeeping missions in Somalia.
1. Its purpose is to help maintain peace when tension is high but no party is determined to
pursue armed conquest.
2. It does this by such means as observing border violations, policing a cease-fire or truce
line, serving as a buffer between hostile forces, supervising troop withdrawal, and
helping to monitor elections and maintain domestic order during a transition period.
3. A peacekeeping force is deployed only with the consent of the sovereign of the territory
where it operates, and usually with the consent or acquiescence of all major parties to the
conflict.
Success: The United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM I) was set up to facilitate
humanitarian aid to people trapped by civil war and famine. The mission developed into a broad
attempt to help stop the conflict and reconstitute the basic institutions of a viable State. It did
secure major population centres and ensure that humanitarian assistance was delivered and
distributed. It corresponded to three assumptions I have mentioned. Its success concentrated on
the efficiently collective security held by the UN. Why is it efficient? The reason is that the
Missions in Somalia excluded the political concerns. Unlike the Missions in Yugoslavia which
heavily twisted with a political puzzle, the Missions in Somalia is a good example that the
international society can work together efficiently.
Failure: But the Missions in Somalia also made some mistakes. The willing to take up the task of
creating a government for Somalia are not appropriate. It was against the assumption1 that ：its
purpose is to help maintain peace.； It was also against the assumption2 to set a new government.
Finally, it was apparently against the assumption3 because most of the Somalia leaders opposed
the more blatant UNOSOM role in Somalia・s domestic politics.
To improve the failure of the Missions in Somalia, the more cautious attitude to ：peacekeeping；
is very important. First, the means and goals of the Mission must have been carefully and clearly
regulated. Second, as I mentioned before, to exclude international political intervention will
make the mission more efficient and legitimate. Finally, to expand the participation of the UN
peacekeeping mission will prevent single state to have huge pressure. These are my suggestions.
Conclusion
The Somalia experience changed the American perception of the UN as well as thinking on the
subject of US responsibility in matters not directly concerned with the national interests. This
change contributed to the American reluctance to collective security missions in Former
Yugoslavia in 1995. So, the Somalia experience also gave the United States and the UN to
reform their peacekeeping policies. The Somalia incident gave us a good lesson to improve the
UN peacekeeping missions.