A special report by 36th Parallel Assessments Ltd on the state of Fiji peacekeeping operations in spite of determined efforts by Australia and New Zealand to derail these. Selwyn Manning reports.
Since the 2006 Fiji coup, Commodore Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama’s military-led government has remained fully engaged with the United Nations while incrementally increasing the number of troops and police it contributes to UN peacekeeping operations to record levels.
United Nations records show, that in the past year alone, Fiji has increased by 29 percent the number of Fiji military and police personnel deployed to UN operations.
Between April 2011 and May 2012, Fiji also contributed more peacekeepers to UN operations than Australia, Canada and New Zealand combined.
UN Plaza
A UN Mission’s summary report obtained by 36th Parallel shows that on May 31, 2012 Fiji had deployed 359 soldiers and/or police to UN operations. This same report showed Australia had contributed 112 personnel, Canada 158, and New Zealand 24 personnel.
The comparative report for April 30, 2011, showed Fiji had deployed 278 soldiers and/or police to UN operations. That snapshot report showed Australia had contributed 109 personnel, Canada 213, and New Zealand 24 personnel.
The data shows that the governments of Australia and New Zealand have not impeded the participation of Fijian troops in UN peace-keeping operations in spite of their public calls to that effect, and in fact have not impeded a rise in the number of Fiji troops being deployed to UN operations since the December 2006 military coup.
Despite Fiji’s military being warned by the United Nations secretariat in November 2006 that if it conducted a coup, overthrew its government, and installed a military-led regime, then its contribution to UN-led operations would be reduced or suspended, the United Nations increased the number of Fiji personnel deployed in the immediate post-coup period.
That trend has increased in the six years since.
In December 2006, at the time of the Fiji military coup, Fiji had 275 troops serving in UN peacekeeping missions.
© 2012 Selwyn Manning
Full report by Selwyn Manning at 36th Parallel Assessments website.
Selwyn Manning
