Press Release
United Nations thanks Djibouti for its contribution to peacekeeping
New York, 10 May 2023- Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, thanked Djibouti for its support to United Nations Peacekeeping and for the service and sacrifice of its military and police personnel, who have been deployed under the UN flag.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of UN Peacekeeping. Since 1948, more than two million men and women have served in 71 UN peacekeeping missions, of which 12 are still active today, making a tangible difference to the lives of millions of people caught up in conflict.
Djibouti first joined UN Peacekeeping in 1994, when it deployed uniformed personnel to the UN Mission in Haiti (UNMIH) and the UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR). Since then, it has participated in nine UN peacekeeping operations.
Currently, 208 uniformed personnel from Djibouti, including 27 women, are deployed to two UN peace operations. Djibouti’s largest contribution is to the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), where 195 of its women and men serve as UN police and as part of a Formed Police Unit. Djibouti also contributes to the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
“Djibouti is one of the highest per capita contributors of uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping. I am grateful for the service and sacrifice of Djiboutian women and men who have served in complex and challenging operational environments, as well as for the country’s steadfast commitment to promoting peace on the African continent,” according to Mr. Lacroix. “The UN will never forget the sacrifice of the two peacekeepers from Djibouti who have lost their lives while serving under the Blue Flag,” Mr. Lacroix added.
Djibouti also endorsed the Secretary-General’s ‘Action for Peacekeeping’ (A4P) initiative, which aims to strengthen peacekeeping through more targeted mandates, stronger and safer operations, better equipped and trained forces, and by mobilizing support for political solutions.