@CIOL_Linguists
WINTER 2022 The Linguist 9
FEATURES
widely spoken language in eastern DRC –
during their daily interactions with local
communities. However, these overworked
and under-resourced officers do not have the
time to sit down and translate the mandate,
even if they have the language skills to do so.
LACK OF LOCAL LANGUAGE SKILLS
Another major problem is that UN
peacekeepers rarely speak their host countries'
local languages. This is particularly acute in
Africa, where most of the UN's largest
peacekeeping missions are based. A4P's
Declaration of Shared Commitments asserts
the Secretary-General's commitment "to
work with Member States to generate the
necessary specialised capabilities, including
language skills…", which are a prerequisite
for successful peacekeeping.
In the DRC, the hostility and mistrust that
MONUSCO's internationally recruited
peacekeepers encounter in the field are
exacerbated by their inability to speak French
or any of the country's regional languages.
India, Pakistan and Bangladesh lead the
North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri brigades
respectively, but virtually none of the troops
speak French or Swahili. This makes it
almost impossible for them to engage with
the local communities they are mandated to
protect without the help of locally recruited
Civil Affairs Officers. However, such officers
can't be everywhere at once, which highlights
the importance of language training for all
UN peacekeepers.
On the other hand, French-speaking
police officers from West Africa – primarily
Senegal – and Swahili-speaking troops in
MONUSCO's specialised Force Intervention
Brigade are much better equipped,
culturally and linguistically, to bridge the
communication gaps between the mission
and local communities.
WHY TRAINING IS VITAL
A4P's Declaration of Shared Commitments
stresses the importance of training and
capacity-building for improving the
performance and effectiveness of UN
peacekeepers, but it needs to do more than
pay lip service to language training. The
mandatory pre-deployment training I
attended for civilian peacekeepers focused
on topics such as safety and security in the
field, conduct and discipline, and the
prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse.
It did not include language or intercultural
skills training.
The only mandatory in-mission training
focused exclusively on safety and security
issues. MONUSCO South Kivu did offer
optional French and Swahili language
lessons, but they were poorly attended,
especially by military and police personnel,
who needed them most.
The successful implementation of UN
peacekeeping mandates in complex security
environments depends on several key factors.
Not only are clear and unambiguous
mandates, political will, adequate resources,
and international and regional cooperation
essential, but also language and intercultural
communication skills. Only then will it be
possible to build the necessary relationships
with host governments and local communities
based on mutual trust and understanding.
Notes
1 tinyurl.com/OkapiMonusco
2 tinyurl.com/UNSGdebate
GLOBAL CONCERNS
UN peacekeeper troops with two
battle tanks in West Java, Indonesia
