Can 2000 more UN peacekeepers, and a few attack helicopters, bring down Laurent Gbagbo?

Posted By Colum Lynch Wednesday, January 19, 2011 - 7:04 PM Share

The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to reinforce the U.N. mission in Ivory Coast with 2,000 additional peacekeepers, escalating an international campaign to pressure the country's longtime ruler to step down from power.

The council's action came as another round of African Union mediation failed to dislodge President Laurent Gbagbo, who was defeated in a U.N.-certified Nov. 28 presidential runoff election by opposition leader Alassane Ouattara.

U.N. officials warned that the ethnically divided West African country - which emerged only seven years ago from a bloody civil war between Gbagbo's army and rebel forces - could return to war."We remain gravely concerned about the possibility of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and ethnic cleansing in Cote d'Ivoire," the U.N. secretary general's special advisers on the prevention of genocide, Francis Deng and Edward Luck, said in a joint statement. Please read the rest of my story in the Washington Post.

Follow me on Twitter @columlynch

EXPLORE:AFRICA, DEMOCRACY, DIPLOMACY, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, UNITED NATIONS

(1)

HIDE COMMENTS LOGIN OR REGISTER REPORT ABUSE

BRET

11:02 PM ET

January 19, 2011

UN Peacekeepers-Meh. Why not get some PMCs

The UN peacekeeping force is mainly compromised of Bangladesh and other third world countries. They are outnumbered by by Côte d'Ivoire's military, and are considered to be not heavily armed. Côte d'Ivoire does have several heavy armor, and mobile infantry troops that do pose a threat. UN attack copters would help, but still, confrontation would be devastating for both sides, something not acceptable.

The UN should work with PMC's to find a solution. Essentially, if they contract PMC's out, the contractors could develop a plan to strike at Gbagho, and key military objectives to "choke" Côte d'Ivoire's remaining forces.

With a current budget of $50 million USD for air travel, I bet some PMC's are already providing UNOCI troops logistical support.