General Jean-Baptiste Tine critiques police role in SN peace operations

• General Jean-Baptiste Tine praised a master's thesis on police units in peacekeeping missions as 'very interesting' and 'done with much rigor'.
• The study highlighted the importance of integrating police forces into peace operations, driven by changing conflict dynamics.
• Seven out of ten presentations at the thesis defense focused on pharmaceutical crime and medication trafficking, a major concern for West Africa.
• The Sénégal has deployed over 50,000 military personnel, gendarmes, and police officers in UN peacekeeping missions since 1960.

Les conflits contemporains, essentiellement intraétatiques, diffèrent profondément des conflits classiques entre États.

The General Jean-Baptiste Tine's comments on the importance of an integrated approach in peace operations, combining civil, military, and police aspects, have significant implications for practitioners of law. This shift towards a more holistic approach is driven by the changing nature of contemporary conflicts, which are increasingly intra-state and require a focus on human rights, public security, and organized crime. The General's remarks highlight the need for expertise in policing within peace operations, as seen in the work of Christian Tine, who presented a comparative analysis of police units in MINUSCA and MINUSMA missions. This study provides valuable insights into the evolution of peacekeeping missions and the importance of integrating police forces into these efforts.

The session at which General Tine made his comments was part of a larger event, a master's thesis defense at the Centre africain d'intelligence stratégique (CIS Paix). Ten students presented their research, including Christian Tine, who focused on the role of police units in peacekeeping missions. The thesis, a Master 2 in governance, criminology, and geopolitics, was well-received by General Tine, who praised its rigor and relevance to current peacekeeping efforts. The session was also notable for its focus on security-related topics, with seven out of ten presentations addressing issues related to pharmaceutical crime and the trafficking of medications.

The General's comments also highlighted the importance of police forces in peacekeeping operations. The Sénégal has been a long-standing participant in these efforts, deploying over 50,000 military personnel, gendarmes, and police officers under the UN flag since 1960. This experience has provided valuable training for these individuals, which can be applied to their national administrations upon return. General Tine noted that this expertise is crucial for addressing the complex security challenges faced by countries in West Africa.

Le général Tine's commentaires soulignent l'importance d'une approche intégrée dans les opérations de paix, impliquant des volets civil, militaire et policier. Les praticiens du droit devraient surveiller les évolutions de cette approche et son application en Afrique de l'Ouest.

Source: Original reporting via APS