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United Nations, Jan. 21 (PTI) The UN staff union said it was encouraged by India’s launch last year of a platform to promote accountability for crimes against peacekeepers, as it noted that two Indians, including two 32 U.N. peacekeepers among those killed in deliberate attacks in 2022.
Sanwalaram Vishnoi and Shishupal Singh, two policemen from India, and Azzouz Znaidi, a peacekeeper from Morocco, both serving with the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), were killed. A policeman from Egypt was killed in July 2022. Violent protesters were injured when they attacked the mission’s base in Butembo, North Kivu province.
At least 32 UN peacekeepers — 28 soldiers and four police officers, including a female officer — have been killed in deliberate attacks in 2022, the UN staff union said.
“In some of the world’s most challenging environments, peacekeepers and the civilian personnel who work alongside them are on the frontlines of the work of the United Nations. We remember the 32 colleagues who lost their lives in 2022,” said Aitor Arauz, President of the United Nations Staff Union.
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“Every malicious attack against United Nations personnel is a blow to peacekeeping operations, one of the pillars of multilateral institutions. The collective responsibility of the international community is to put in place appropriate mechanisms to ensure accountability for these heinous acts, according to International law, these acts may constitute war crimes,” Arauz said.
To this end, Arauz added, “We are encouraged by the formation of the 2022 Group of Friends to promote accountability for crimes against peacekeepers. We look forward to seeing strong commitment from Member States on this issue leading to tangible results on the ground. “
India, during its presidency of the UN Security Council, formed a “Group of Friends” in December last year to promote accountability for crimes against peacekeepers. India, Bangladesh, Egypt, France, Morocco and Nepal are the co-chairs of the Group of Friends.
Foreign Minister Jaishankar Jaishankar said at the press conference that UN peacekeeping operations in today’s era are more challenging than ever.
“Peace operations also operate in ambiguous and complex environments. Today’s peacekeepers are not tasked with keeping the peace, but with robust mandates in extremely hostile conflict zones. The involvement of armed groups, terrorists and transnational organized Their actions have had adverse effects,” Jaishankar said at the launch of the group of friends last month.
Jaishankar said the group of friends represented the “political will” of member states, especially troop- and police-contributing countries, to support the implementation of the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 2589, adopted under India’s leadership last August. Chairman of the Council.
Resolution 2589 calls on host countries or Member States that have hosted UN peacekeeping operations to take all appropriate measures to bring to justice the perpetrators of the killing of and all acts of violence against UN personnel, including but not limited to their detention and abduction .
The resolution also calls on Member States to take all necessary measures under their national laws to investigate such acts and to apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators of such acts, in accordance with applicable international obligations, including international humanitarian law.
The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) had the highest death toll for the ninth year in a row, with 14 fatalities, followed by MONUSCO with 13 and MINUSMA with four, the UN staff union said. One person from the Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was killed.
By nationality, peacekeepers killed in action in 2022 were from Bangladesh (3), Chad (4), Egypt (7), Guinea (1), India (2), Ireland (1), Jordan (1), Morocco (1), Nepal (1), Nigeria (2), Pakistan (7), Russia (1) and Serbia (1).
The union said the deaths brought at least 494 U.N. and associated personnel killed in deliberate attacks over the past 12 years from improvised explosive devices, rocket-propelled grenades, artillery fire, mortar shells, landmines, armed and serial ambushes, convoy attacks, Suicide attacks and targeted assassinations.
India, one of the largest troop contributors to UN peacekeeping operations, has lost 177 peacekeepers, the highest loss of any troop contributor so far.
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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