Inside Story

Can the UN maintain peace around the world?

A spike in violence against UN peacekeepers raises questions around UN efforts to maintain peace around the world.

Lightly armed and with limited authority, UN peacekeepers are deployed to many of the world’s trouble spots.

These peacekeepers have been repeatedly targetted in Mali, now the most dangerous mission to serve in. The latest attack happened on Sunday when 10 soldiers from Chad were killed as attackers stormed the United Nations camp.

An al-Qaeda-linked group said it carried out the attack in response to the Chadian president’s decision to revive diplomatic ties with Israel.

The UN has reported a spike in violence against its peacekeepers.

In 2017, 53 soldiers were killed, the highest number of peacekeeper deaths recorded by the UN.

So what hope is there for UN efforts to maintain peace in conflict areas around the world?

Presenter: Richelle Carey

Guests:

Joanne Adamson – deputy special representative of the secretary-general and of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali

Adam Day – head of programmes at the Centre for Policy Research at United Nations University

Severine Autesserre – professor of Political Science at Barnard College, Columbia University