Introduction

The end of the Cold War had brought about a transformation in regional
action to march that in UN action. This regional action is governed by three articles
in Chapter VIII of the UN Charter. Article 5 provides that regional arrangements
or agencies may deal !ith such matters relating to the maintenance of
international peace and security as are appropriate for regional action provided
their activities are in consistence !ith the purposes and principles of the UN. Also
article 5" allo!s the #ecurity Council to utili$e regional arrangement or agencies
for enforcement action but they are not permitted to ta%e enforcement action
!ithout the authori$ation of the #ecurity Council. Article 5& re'uired such regional
arrangements to %eep the #ecurity Council fully informed of their activities for the
maintenance of international peace and security ()*.
+ne of such regional groups is ,C+WA# -onitoring .roup /,C+-+.01 a
peace%eeping force !hich !as sent to 2iberia to mediate a year3old civil !ar in an
effort to finali$e a peace settlement and establish a government acceptable to all
2iberian factions. ()* ,C+WA# nations comprises of almost all the West African
states though some fe! members of the organi$ation have come and gone over the
years. In )456 for instance Cape Verde 7oined ,C+WA#1 but in 8ecember 999
-auritania !ithdre!1 having announced its intention to do so in 8ecember )444
1
(*. :eace %eeping !hich simply refers to the preservation of peace1 especially as a
military mission in !hich troops attempt to %eep formerly !arring armed forces
from starting to fight again ("*1 is a type of effort that originated !ith the
appearance of international organi$ations li%e the United Nations /UN0 and the
smaller international regional organi$ations li%e /African Union0 AU and
/,conomic Community of West African #tates0 ,C+WA# especially after the
#econd World War.
These International regional organi$ations are created through treaty
arrangements that commit member states to act together for certain specified goals.
At the height of the cold !ar1 a number of such groups came into being as security
organi$ations;that is1 organi$ations !hose chief purpose is to encourage 7oint
military planning for common defense i.e.1 /North Atlantic Treaty +rgani$ation0
NAT+ but since the end of the cold !ar1 there arises many functional regional
organi$ations1 li%e the ,C+WA#1 !hich solely intended to provide a unified
approach to the solution of economic and social problems of the region1 this type
of organi$ations have no! gro!n and1 in some cases1 flourished. Their functions
include loose customs unions1 free3trade areas1 and common mar%ets.
#uch multipurpose organi$ations also1 combined to some e<tent the security
and functional goals1 although usually in some!hat more loosely %nit
2
arrangements. =ere1 emphasis is strongly upon harmoni$ing political relationships
among the members as !ell as on attempting to provide a common front to the
outside !orld. >elatively1 the UN1 in its Agenda for Peace1 did not set forth any
formal pattern of relations it and the >egional +rgani$ations or set any specific
division of labour. UN ho!ever argued that regional organi$ations possessed a
potential that should be utili$ed for preventive diplomacy1 peace%eeping1
peacema%ing and post3conflict peace building !hile the UN %eeps its primary role
of the maintenance of international peace and security1 in !hat could be described
as decentrali$ation1 delegation and cooperation bet!een the UN and the regional
organi$ations? peace efforts. This in the process lightens the burden of the UN and
at the same time contributes to a deeper sense of participation1 consensus and
democrati$ation in the international affairs? of the !orld (&*.
The role of Nigeria in regional Peace keeping
Nigeria !hich since independence had been focusing on the need to preserve
her territorial integrity as !ell as those of her sister African #tates had also been
committed to !orld peace and 7ustice. As such it had began to commit itself in
:eace -ission +perations since independence !hen in dispatched over 61999 of its
troops to Congo under UN+C to help in bro%ering peace in ne!ly independence
nation that plunged into political and militant crisis1 first bet!een )4543)469 and
3
then again in )46&. ,ver since1 till date Nigeria had parta%en in over "9 other
peace%eeping operations in different troubled spots of the globe mostly under the
auspices of the United Nations. #ome of these peace%eeping efforts includes@ Indo3
:a%istan +bserver -ission in )4651 :eace%eeping +peration in 2ebanon1 from
)45A to )4A"1 Chad +peration =armony I and II in )454 and )4A)3)44)
respectively1 the United Nation Transition Assistance .roup in Namibia from
)4A)3)4491 United Nations Angola Verification -issions I1 II1 III1 in )4A43)44)1
)44)3)44 and )443)445 respectively1 United Nations -ission for >eferendum I
in Western #ahara )44)1 United Nations Iran3Bu!ait +bserver -ission in )44)
also. Then there !as the )44) United Nations Interim -ission in Bosovo
follo!ing the disintegration of Cugoslavia1 follo!ed by the United Nations
Transitional Authority in Cambodia )443)44"1 then United Nations +peration in
#omalia I and II and also the United Nations :rotection force in the former
Cugoslavia as !ell as the United Nations +peration in -o$ambi'ue all of !hich
too% place from )44 to )444 (5*D
=o!ever1 !hen in 8ecember )4A4 a group of dissidents in 2iberia began an
uprising1 and it became apparent that the crisis may spill over to other parts of the
region1 the ,conomic Community of West African #tates /,C+WA#0 spearheaded
by Nigeria decided to sent its troops as a monitoring group %no!n as the
,C+-+. to create a condition for a peaceful settlement of the crisis by creating a
4
buffer $one in !hich only the ,C+-+. forces can carry arm and every 2iberian
could safely entered in the $one. The American electronic3encyclopedia1
-icrosoftE ,ncartaE 994 (8V8*1 had recorded the follo!ing /!ith some
modification by the researcher0 regarding the West African regional peace%eeping
effort@
D the National :atriotic Front
of 2iberia /N:F201 the rebel group led
by Charles Taylor1 !ith its ill3trained
army of about )91999 men1 had !ithin
!ee%s over run much of the
countryside. And then there !as a
split among the insurgents !hich only
increased the violence as fighting
continued into )449. The ,conomic
Community of West African #tates
/,C+WA#0 monitoring group
/,C+-+.0 sent as a peace%eeping
force1 initially failed to halt the
fighting. 8oe !as ho!ever eventually
captured and e<ecuted by a splinter
group of the N:F2 in #eptember
)449.
The !ar spread through
2iberia1 as the N:F2 battled
,C+-+.1 the 2iberian army1 their
splinter group the Independent
National :atriotic Front of 2iberia
/IN:F201 and the United 2iberation
-ovement of 2iberia for 8emocracy
/U2I-+01 composed of former allies
of 8oe because the N:F2 see
,C+-+. force as a barrier to its
goal of achieving po!er but by early
5
)44)1 ,C+-+. held -onrovia and
the N:F2 controlled the rest of the
country. In +ctober )44) ,C+WA#
and the N:F2 agreed to disarm and
establish an Interim .overnment of
National Unity /I.NU0. The N:F2
began to disarm in early )441 but
clashed !ith ,C+-+. forces1 and in
August !as attac%ed by U2I-+ from
#ierra 2eone. In #eptember the N:F2
launched an all3out assault on
,C+-+. forces in -onrovia1
recruiting boys as young as eight to
fight1 and e<ecuting civilians !ho
refused to 7oin. The siege temporarily
shut do!n all transportation in or out
of the capital and %illed thousands of
civilians in the crossfire. ,C+-+.
succeeded in pushing the N:F2 bac%
into the countryside by Ganuary )44".
In the meantime1 U2I-+ had
captured much of !estern 2iberia1 but
had split along ethnic lines into t!o
!arring factions1 U2I-+3G and
U2I-+3B.
At a peace conference in Guly
)44" the leaders of I.NU1 N:F21 and
U2I-+3B dre! up a plan for a
2iberian National Transitional
.overnment1 led by a five3member
Council of #tate consisting of one
N:F2 leader1 one U2I-+3B
member1 one I.NU representative1
and t!o other civilians. A cease3fire
!as implemented but progress
to!ards lasting peace !as hampered
by the appearance of a ne! armed
group1 the 2iberian :eace Council
/2:C01 and by the refusal of U2I-+3
6
G to disarm. Hy mid3)44& the cease3
fire had completely failed1 and
fighting raged bet!een the 2:C and
the N:F21 bet!een U2I-+3G and
U2I-+3B1 and bet!een U2I-+3G
and ,C+-+.. The United Nations
+bserver -ission in 2iberia
/UN+-I20 !as deployed to
cooperate !ith ,C+-+. in -arch.
At this time the United #tates issued a
report condemning !idespread
human3rights violations in 2iberia.
The leaders of the factions
secretly met in August )44&1 and
negotiated a timeline for disarmament
and the institution of a Council of
#tate based on the )44" plan1 but !ith
si< members. A cease3fire in
8ecember !as interrupted by
s%irmishes until a formal peace accord
!as signed in August )445. The peace
!as bro%en in April )446 !hen an
uprising by U2I-+3G in the outs%irts
of -onrovia 'uic%ly spread into the
capital1 spar%ing street3to3street
fighting and looting. Another cease3
fire !as declared in August1 and
-onrovia !as reclaimed by
,C+-+. forces. In all1 more than
)591999 2iberians died in the seven3
year civil !ar1 and !ell over ) million
people !ere displaced.
An ,C+-+. disarmament
program !as initiated under the
August )446 peace agreement.
8espite some minor s%irmishes and
an assassination attempt on Taylor1
the disarmament proceeded relatively
7
smoothly. ,C+-+. forces cleared
land mines and reopened the
country?s roads1 allo!ing refugees to
begin returning from neighboring
countries and humanitarian aid to
reach the previously inaccessible
interior. The disarmament program
!as declared a success in Ganuary
)445. Under considerable
international scrutiny1 presidential and
legislative elections !ere held in Guly.
Charles Taylor1 the man !ho
instigated the 2iberian Civil War
eight years earlier1 !as elected
president by a landslide1 and his
political party1 the National :atriotic
:arty1 !on a ma7ority of seats in the
National Assembly. The elections
!ere 7udged free and fair by
international election observers.
Taylor pledged to forge
national reconciliation and appointed
leaders of rival factions to various
government positions. After the last
,C+-+. forces !ithdre! from
2iberia in )4441 ho!ever1 Taylor?s
security forces !ere critici$ed by
international groups for alleged
human rights abuses against members
of the opposition. Heginning in 999
government forces shut do!n several
independent ne!spapers and radio
stations.
In 99) the UN imposed
economic sanctions against 2iberia
for aiding rebel groups in neighboring
#ierra 2eone. Taylor?s administration
also allegedly aided rebels in both
8
.uinea and CIte d?Ivoire. Taylor
accused .uinea of supporting a ne!
2iberian rebel group called 2iberians
United for >econciliation and
8emocracy /2U>80 and retaliated
!ith several attac%s on .uinean
border to!ns. 2U>8 rebels gained
control over significant amounts of
northern 2iberia by 991 soon
limiting Taylor?s authority to little
more than -onrovia. After months of
fighting and international pressure
/notably from the United #tates01
Taylor agreed to step do!n in August
99" as part of an overall peace
agreement1 and he !ent into e<ile in
Nigeria. A #pecial Court1 7ointly
administered by the United Nations
and the #ierra 2eone government1
later brought !ar crimes charges
against Taylor1 and in Gune 995 he
!ent on trial in The =ague /see War
Crimes Trials0. In +ctober1 2iberian
businessman Charles .yude Hryant
!as s!orn in as 2iberia?s ne!
president1 charged !ith overseeing a
t!o3year po!er3sharing transitional
government. The bicameral
legislature !as replaced temporarily
by an interim National Transitional
2egislative Assembly. Under the 99"
peace agreement1 the United Nations
#ecurity Council formally established
a peace%eeping force %no!n as the
UN -ission in 2iberia.
In November 995 elections
,llen Gohnson3#irleaf1 an economist
and longtime political dissident1 !as
elected president. #he became the first
9
female head of state of an African
nation. ,lections !ere also held for
the restored bicameral legislature.
Gohnson3#irleaf defeated .eorge
Weah1 a popular former soccer star1
!inning more than 54 percent of the
vote (5*D
Hased on the coated ,ncarta statements and the attached appendi<1 it
could be noticed that Nigeria had recorded a high casualty rate because it
!ent beyond the traditional peace3%eeping operation by getting involved
actively in the conflict in both 2iberia and #ierra 2eone. This had proved
>amesh Tha%ur?s statement cited in an article of a boo% titled J?=istory
unlimited?? !here he !as coated as sayingK
International peace %eeping
forces e<press and facilitate the
erst!hile belligerents? !ill to live in
peace@ they cannot supervise peace in
conditions of !ar. Turning them into
a fighting force erode international
consensus on their function1
encourages !ithdra!als by
contributing contingents1 converts
them into a factional participant in
the internal po!er struggle1 and turns
them into targets of attac% from rival
internal factions (6*
In another dimension of the Nigerian regional peace efforts1 it had
played a dominant role in some mediation of inter3state types of crisis1 li%e
the boarder crisis bet!een 2iberia and #ierra 2eone1 Hur%ina Faso and -ali1
10
and that of Togo and .hana !hich Nigeria mediated peaceful settlement of
their disputes. These are some pointers to the Nigerian peace building roles.
Above all these ho!ever1 is the Ha%assi :eninsula dispute bet!een Nigeria
and Cameroon !hich they inherited from their colonial rulers /Hritain and
.ermany respectively0 before to the First World War1 in spectacular e<ample
Nigeria1 respected a World Court verdict !hen it gives the disputed area to
Cameroon1 as an e<treme restraint of the Nigerian authorities and a sho! of
the Nigerian supreme 'uest for peace (5*.
An appraisal
Nigeria is the single largest contributor to the ,C+WA#? ,C+-+.
effort in that crisis. It is estimated that in addition to thousands of lives lost1
Nigeria has spent more than LU# )& billion (A*. Nigerian interest in this crisis
could be to prevent a spillover of the crisis into Nigeria itself or at least create
a situation that can %eep as many as the 2iberian people in 2iberia as possible
because already by the time the peace %eeping assignment commenced1
thousands of 2iberian refugees !ere trooping out into the neighboring states1
yet the driving force that gives Nigeria the confidence to try !hat it does !as
the petro3economic buoyancy it has especially coming from the oil !indfall
that resulted from the .ulf War period. Nigeria !ants the international
11
community recogni$ed her as a regional po!er !hich is good for her economy
and diplomacy.
Nigerian .overnment had some indirect financial gains from this type
of peace%eeping operation especially !hen the United Nations are involved1 it
is said that for every LU# )99 the UN gives to a soldier1 that Nigerian
government usually retained LU# 69 and give the soldier LU# &91 although
the remaining !ill be given to the soldier later.ton return. Hecause of that it is
common to see soldiers building houses and possessing car on return from
such peace mission operation. Another important aspect of this regional peace
%eeping is that the operation due to the close pro<imity of the trouble spot
!ith the home base of the troops usually served as an eye opener to some
business minded individuals !ho may after retirement usually involved
themselves in some sort of business ventures across the sub3region.
Again nothing is !ithout its peculiar problems1 as such1 some of the
problem associated !ith this type of assignments includes language barrier1
lac% of ade'uate e'uipments li%e helicopters and some %inds of speciali$ed
e'uipments. +ther problems identified include organi$ational problems !hich
can sometimes be very costly in terms of lives and even materials. For
instance1 reference to the appendi<1 there use to be cases !hich un3
12
identification of fello! soldiers that !ent to help or reinforced their follo!s in
combat $ones led to the situation in !hich those !ho !ent as reinforcement
get mista%enly %illed by the same people they !ent to help 7ust because there
!as no proper communication bet!een them.
Conclusion
In conclusion to this !or%1 the researcher !ish to point out that
although some critics of this Nigerian international peace %eeping roles !ere
of the vie! that Nigerian is in the overall vie! of the !hole e<ercise not
actually economically gaining but loosing as such Nigeria should shy a!ay
from that type of sacrificial assignments. =o!ever that not!ithstanding the
researcher is of the vie! that this Nigerian supreme sacrifice in both human
and material coast1 is in the overall good of the nation. The pac% that Nigerian
intervention had saved lives and restored established order is in its self a great
service to humanity and thus a moral gain !hich earn it respect and even
sympathy no! that the country is having its o!n internal conflict.
It also gives Nigeria respect in the eyes of the international community
and attracts some indirect economic gains in the form of United Nations?
appointments or even reconstructions contracts from the troubled nation
concerned.
13
Notes
1. Christine .ray1 International Law and the Use of Force, +<fordK +<ford
University :ress1 99&. p.A.
2. Ibid, p. 283.
3. ,ncarta 8ictionaries1 994.
4. Christine .ray1 International Law and the Use of Force, +<fordK +<ford
University :ress1 99&. p.A.
5. M2iberia.M -icrosoftE ,ncartaE 994 (8V8*. >edmond1 WAK -icrosoft
Corporation1 99A.
6. Celestine +. Hassey MNigeria and challenges of peace support operations in
AfricaM in :rofessor Adednego ,%o%o /ed.01 Histor !nli"ited, Henin CityK
-inde< :ublishing1 9)1 p. ))
7. Hola A%interin!a1 #igeria #ew Foreign Polic $r!st% &ssas in Hono!r of
A"bassador 'l!e"i Adeni(i, IbadanK Vantage :ublishers1 99&.
8. Belechi Gohnmary Ani1 MNigeria and the Need for ,conomic38riven
#trategic :eace3Beeping +perationsM in +7ong ,cum Tangban and
14
Chu%!uma C.C. +sa%!e /ed.0 Perspecti)e in African Historical *t!dies,%
&ssas in Hono!r of Professor Ubah, BadunaK N8A :ress1 9)"1 p. )4"

15