New Delhi: Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations at the United Nations, has commended the steadfast efforts of Indian UN peacekeepers amid escalating violence in eastern Congo. Stationed in some of the most perilous and unstable areas of the country, such as North Kivu, Indian troops deployed at the UN mission are confronting a deteriorating situation, fuelled largely by the M23 rebel group.
Speaking at a press conference in Delhi, Lacroix emphasised the UN&rsquo;s commitment to their safety, stating, &ldquo;We will do everything possible to ensure the safety of our peacekeepers. I want to pay tribute to all of them, including Indian peacekeepers, yes, it&rsquo;s challenging, they are standing their ground and it&rsquo;s highly appreciated.&rdquo;
Indian peacekeepers serve under MONUSCO, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where India ranks among the top contributors of troops.&nbsp; Lacroix elaborated on the challenging circumstances, noting, &ldquo;It is not an easy environment because most of the Indian peacekeepers, most of them in the M23-occupied areas. Indian peacekeepers are under restrictions, including movement.&rdquo;&nbsp; He added, &ldquo;India is an important country, an important troop contributing in world. We do everything possible to make sure our peacekeepers are safe. We are working on camp protection.&rdquo;
Congo&rsquo;s turbulent history has taken a heavy toll on Indian personnel serving in UN missions. In 2022, two Indian peacekeepers from the Border Security Force, Head Constable Shishupal Singh and Head Constable Sanwala Ram Vishnoi, lost their lives during violent anti-UN protests in Butembo, where a mob of 500 attacked a MONUSCO base.&nbsp; Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/over-20-civil-service-employees-resigned-from-trumps-doge-in-protest-8758303" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Over 20 civil service employees resigned from Trump&rsquo;s DOGE in protest</a> Previously, in 2010, three soldiers from the 19 Kumaon Regiment were killed in a sudden assault by Mayi-Mayi rebels on their outpost in Kirumba, North Kivu.&nbsp; Lacroix, who is travelling from Delhi to Congo to evaluate the situation firsthand, praised the dedication of Indian troops, saying, &ldquo;Indian peacekeepers are present in most of our peacekeeping missions. They are serving with commitment. I want to thank India for that.&rdquo;
He also advocated for reforms within the UN, stressing that the organisation must be &ldquo;more representative of today&rsquo;s international reality is very important&rdquo; and noted that the Secretary General &ldquo;has time and again insisted on the importance of bringing about reforms of international governance, including reform of the Security Council&rdquo;. Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-gaza-number-one-us-president-shares-his-vision-of-post-war-region-with-netanyahu-chilling-by-pool-8758822" rel="noopener" target="_blank">&lsquo;Trump Gaza number one&rsquo;: US president shares his vision of post-war region, with Netanyahu chilling by pool</a> Lacroix&rsquo;s visit to Delhi coincided with the inaugural Conference for Women Peacekeepers, attended by representatives from 35 leading Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) from the Global South. The event saw addresses by India&rsquo;s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, Secretary (West) Tanmaya Lal, Indian Army Vice Chief Lt. General NS Raja Subramani, and Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt. General Rakesh Kapoor. Women peacekeepers also met with President Droupadi Murmu during the visit.
India has long been a key pillar of UN peacekeeping, deploying nearly 300,000 troops across over 50 UN missions since the 1950s. Currently, over 5,000 Indian troops serve in 9 of the 11 active UN peacekeeping missions, including high-risk conflict zones. India has lost 180 peacekeepers in service of global peace, making the highest sacrifice among all troop-contributing nations. India has also led the way in deploying women to UN missions, starting as early as the 1960s. Dr. Kiran Bedi broke ground as the first woman UN Police Advisor from 2003 to 2005. In 2007, India made history by sending an all-female Formed Police Unit (FPU) to Liberia, which served until 2016. Presently, 154 Indian women in uniform contribute to UN missions, including three Female Engagement Teams in Abyei, Congo, and South Sudan. Major Suman Gawani (2019) and Major Radhika Sen (2023) have been recognised with the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award for their exceptional work. Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-to-sell-5-million-gold-cards-offering-wealthy-foreigners-us-residency-and-citizenship-us-citizenship-green-card-8757321" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump to sell $5 million 'gold cards', offering rich foreigners US residency and citizenship</a> Beyond troop contributions, India has spearheaded peacekeeping innovations, such as donating 200,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses for UN peacekeepers globally, creating the UNITE AWARE platform to boost situational awareness, and championing the UN Peacekeepers&rsquo; Memorial Wall, a proposal backed by an unprecedented 190 co-sponsoring nations at the United Nations. The Centre for UN Peacekeeping (CUNPK) in India, a UN-accredited training hub, has prepared over 2,000 officers from 96 countries for service.

World India News: India has long been a key pillar of UN peacekeeping, deploying nearly 300,000 troops across over 50 UN missions since the 1950s. Currently, over 5,000 Indian troops serve in 9 of the 11 active UN peacekeeping missions.

New Delhi: Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations at the United Nations, has commended the steadfast efforts of Indian UN peacekeepers amid escalating violence in eastern Congo. Stationed in some of the most perilous and unstable areas of the country, such as North Kivu, Indian troops deployed at the UN mission are confronting a deteriorating situation, fuelled largely by the M23 rebel group. Speaking at a press conference in Delhi, Lacroix emphasised the UN’s commitment to their safety, stating, “We will do everything possible to ensure the safety of our peacekeepers. I want to pay tribute to all of them, including Indian peacekeepers, yes, it’s challenging, they are standing their ground and it’s highly appreciated.” Indian peacekeepers serve under MONUSCO, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where India ranks among the top contributors of troops. Lacroix elaborated on the challenging circumstances, noting, “It is not an easy environment because most of the Indian peacekeepers, most of them in the M23-occupied areas. Indian peacekeepers are under restrictions, including movement.” He added, “India is an important country, an important troop contributing in world. We do everything possible to make sure our peacekeepers are safe. We are working on camp protection.” Congo’s turbulent history has taken a heavy toll on Indian personnel serving in UN missions. In 2022, two Indian peacekeepers from the Border Security Force, Head Constable Shishupal Singh and Head Constable Sanwala Ram Vishnoi, lost their lives during violent anti-UN protests in Butembo, where a mob of 500 attacked a MONUSCO base. Also read: Over 20 civil service employees resigned from Trump’s DOGE in protest Previously, in 2010, three soldiers from the 19 Kumaon Regiment were killed in a sudden assault by Mayi-Mayi rebels on their outpost in Kirumba, North Kivu. Lacroix, who is travelling from Delhi to Congo to evaluate the situation firsthand, praised the dedication of Indian troops, saying, “Indian peacekeepers are present in most of our peacekeeping missions. They are serving with commitment. I want to thank India for that.” He also advocated for reforms within the UN, stressing that the organisation must be “more representative of today’s international reality is very important” and noted that the Secretary General “has time and again insisted on the importance of bringing about reforms of international governance, including reform of the Security Council”. Also read: ‘Trump Gaza number one’: US president shares his vision of post-war region, with Netanyahu chilling by pool Lacroix’s visit to Delhi coincided with the inaugural Conference for Women Peacekeepers, attended by representatives from 35 leading Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) from the Global South. The event saw addresses by India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, Secretary (West) Tanmaya Lal, Indian Army Vice Chief Lt. General NS Raja Subramani, and Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt. General Rakesh Kapoor. Women peacekeepers also met with President Droupadi Murmu during the visit. India has long been a key pillar of UN peacekeeping, deploying nearly 300,000 troops across over 50 UN missions since the 1950s. Currently, over 5,000 Indian troops serve in 9 of the 11 active UN peacekeeping missions, including high-risk conflict zones. India has lost 180 peacekeepers in service of global peace, making the highest sacrifice among all troop-contributing nations. India has also led the way in deploying women to UN missions, starting as early as the 1960s. Dr. Kiran Bedi broke ground as the first woman UN Police Advisor from 2003 to 2005. In 2007, India made history by sending an all-female Formed Police Unit (FPU) to Liberia, which served until 2016. Presently, 154 Indian women in uniform contribute to UN missions, including three Female Engagement Teams in Abyei, Congo, and South Sudan. Major Suman Gawani (2019) and Major Radhika Sen (2023) have been recognised with the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award for their exceptional work. Also read | Trump to sell $5 million 'gold cards', offering rich foreigners US residency and citizenship Beyond troop contributions, India has spearheaded peacekeeping innovations, such as donating 200,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses for UN peacekeepers globally, creating the UNITE AWARE platform to boost situational awareness, and championing the UN Peacekeepers’ Memorial Wall, a proposal backed by an unprecedented 190 co-sponsoring nations at the United Nations. The Centre for UN Peacekeeping (CUNPK) in India, a UN-accredited training hub, has prepared over 2,000 officers from 96 countries for service.

Indian UN peacekeepers stood the ground in Congo: UN Peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix

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Indian UN peacekeepers stood the ground in Congo: UN Peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix