London(ANN) Britain will deploy more than 300 troops for United Nations peacekeeping operations in Somalia and South Sudan in a bid to counter instability in Africa that is causing mass migration and facilitating the rise of terror groups, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Monda
The planned deployment marks a significant increase in U.K. participation in U.N. peacekeeping operations, an area where Britain has traditionally being a strong contributor in financial terms but has provided much fewer personnel than other participating countries. The U.K.’s main U.N. peacekeeping mission is in Cyprus, where it currently has about 280 troops.
The planned deployment could involve up to 70 personnel to support the African Union force combating al-Shabaab Islamist militants in Somalia, and a total of 250-300 troops over the course of multiple deployments in South Sudan to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis there, the government said. The British troops will provide medical, logistical, and engineering support and combat training, the government said, without detailing a time frame.
Mr. Cameron, who is in New York to deliver a speech on sustainable development at the U.N., said in a statement that it was vital that the international community worked together to shore up stability in Africa. The U.K., with its commitment to spend at least 2.0% of its national income on defense and 0.7% on foreign aid, “is more than able to play her part,” he said.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced an internal assessment of the current and future needs of U.N. peacekeeping in October, with a view to providing recommendations to the General Assembly this year. The last major review, carried out in 2000, called for renewed commitment from member states and increased financial support.
Source: http://www.wsj.com
Write to Nicholas Winning at nick.winning@wsj.com
