Drones - U.N. Wants to Use Drones for Peacekeeping Missions

7/29/2019 Drones - U.N. Wants to Use Drones for Peacekeeping Missions

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U.N. wants to use drones for peacekee

By Colum Lynch, Published: January 9

UNITED NATIONS The United Nations, looking to modernize its peacekeep

for the first time to deploy a fleet of its own surveillance drones in missions in C

The U.N. Department of Peacekeeping has notified Congo, Rwanda and Uganda

unit of at least three unarmed surveillance drones in the eastern region of Congo.

The action is the first step in a broader bid to integrate unmanned aerial surveilla


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would be equipped with infrared technology that can detect troops hidden beneat

at night, allowing them to track movements of armed militias, assist patrols head

document atrocities.

These are really just flying cameras, said one U.N. official who spoke on the c

because of the sensitivity of the topic. Our best method of protection is early wapatrol ambushed in Darfur. If you had a drone ahead of the patrol, it could have s

If you know armed groups are moving in attack or battle formation early enoug

the official added.

The United Nations, which manages a force of more than 100,000 blue-helmeted

missions, views drones as a low-cost alternative to expensive helicopters for surv

Along with the pending deployments in Congo, the organization has ordered a fe

Ivory Coast. U.N. military planners say there is a need for drones in many other m

Sudan and South Sudan, where the United Nations monitors tensions along the b

But they acknowledged that they have little hope that Sudan would permit them.


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closed-door meeting Tuesday to support his plan for drones in Congo.

Britain, France and other Western members of the council joined the United Stat

But China, Russia, Rwanda, Pakistan and Guatemala voiced concern, setting the

debate over the U.N. plan. Rwandas U.N. ambassador, Eugene-Richard Gasana,

world bodys introduction of drones carries the risk of transforming the peacekeebelligerent force, according to a council diplomat.

But Richard Gowan, an expert on U.N. peacekeeping at New York Universitys C

Cooperation, said much of the resistance is driven by fear that drones would repl

peacekeepers.

This really boils down to a concern from the troop contributors that they are goiis a cheaper and more efficient alternative to an infantry patrol, Gowan said. I

number of the large African and Asian troops contributors are worried that if the

involved in high-tech operations like this, that their personnel will be made redun

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Drones - U.N. Wants to Use Drones for Peacekeeping Missions