MINSK, 9 November (BelTA) – The UN Secretariat has sent a request to Belarus to provide aircraft and maintenance personnel for peacekeeping operations in Africa, Official Secretary and Aide to the Belarusian Defense Minister Major General Alexander Anisimov told reporters on 9 November, BelTA has learnt.
He explained that the UN missions in Africa need helicopters to deliver cargo and carry out a variety of humanitarian tasks. The Armed Forces of Belarus naturally have such machines. He added that helicopters can also perform some combat tasks, like air policing.
“We are ready to restore the aircraft that need some repairs and give them to the UN missions,” Alexander Anisimov said. This will help avoid compromising the combat effectiveness of the Belarusian army. “The aircraft to be provided include the Mil Mi-8 helicopters, first of all,” the Major General said.
He informed that Belarus might also join the peacekeeping mission in Cyprus. The Defense Ministry and the Foreign Ministry already held the relevant consultations with the donors of the Cyprus operations, including the UK. “However, we have not received any concrete proposals so far,” Alexander Anisimov said.
Head of the International Organizations Department of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Vladimir Pavlovich informed that the UN is carrying out 15 peacekeeping operations around the world estimated at about $5 billion. Since 1948, the organization has carried out 66 operations. At present 114 countries – UN member states take part in such missions. About 2,900 peacekeepers were killed as a result of hostilities, car accidents, diseases, etc. A great number of peacekeepers – about 350 people – died during the collapse of Yugoslavia.
Vladimir Pavlovich noted that not all people understand what a peacekeeping operation is. Such operations are now aimed, among other things, to protect the civil population and mitigate the consequences of domestic conflicts, the diplomat explained. Not only the military, but also civil personnel might work in such missions. For example, the recently established UN Mission in South Sudan includes investigators of human rights abuses.
Follow us on:
