Lessons from Central African Republic

The history of human civilization is more, or less, the cronicle of war and conflicts through the ages, inter-state or intra-state. The League of Nations, recognized as the first global organization formed after World War I in 1920, aimed to preserve world peace, stability, promoting global cooperation among nations. But the irony of fate is that the noble endeavour couldn't counteract the world from the devastating sufferings of World War II resulting in the death of 70 to 85 million people globally. Then, the United Nations was established with more hopes and wider dimensions in 1945 to promote international peace and security, develop friendly relations among states, and achieve international cooperation for peaceful survival of mankind. Eventually, the world started observing a bi-polar system among the major powers and faced the aftermath of the dreadful World War II causing war and conflicts in different parts in Asia, Africa and Latin America as a game play by the superpowers.

Peacekeeping mission is considered as one of the effective and functional roles of United Nations which is appreciated by all. The United Nations first started its peacekeeping missions in 1948 with the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) in the Middle East. Bangladesh started its journey for the noble cause of world peace in 1988 with United Nations Iraq-Iran Military Observer Group (UNIIMOG) mission. Today Bangladesh is one of the largest troops contributing countries in the United Nations Peacekeeping Missions around the globe uplifting the image of Bangladesh in the international area. Since its inception in peacekeeping missions, Bangladesh Army is playing the lead role among all Bangladeshi peacekeepers and representing the red-green flag at every corner of the world. With the span of time Bangladesh Army successfully completed 56 missions covering 40 countries all over the world. A total of 162,358 peacekeepers including 1524 women took part in those missions. At present 4865 peacekeepers including 357 women from Bangladesh Army are deployed in nine different countries under nine Missions. For the sake of world peace, Bangladeshi peacekeepers devote themselves in deep shadows; and they sacrifice their valuable lives. So far, 131 Bangladeshi peacekeepers of Bangladesh Army have embraced martyrdom and other 245 peacekeepers sustained serious injuries for the noble grounds of humanity.

The general perception of the common mass and, to some extent, among the civil societies in Bangladesh regarding peacekeepers is not that much appreciable, rather considered as the source of individual monetary gain only. But peacekeeping is a very complex task for peacekeepers combining numerous factors, such as presence of military combatants, multinational civil components, host nations' political dynamics, local population, socio-economic diversity, demographic pattern, language barrier, attocities of armed elements, international influence, infestation of poisonous animals, unknown diseases and so on. Despite all these, Bangladeshi peacekeepers have been playing a vibrant role with exemplary dedication, professionalism and humanitarian values which earned global acclaim for their contributions to world peace and stability. Bangladesh is also earning a substantial amount of remittance as compensation paid by United Nations from peacekeeping missions which contributes to our foreign exchange reserve and to overall growth of national economy.

The United Nations Security Council adopted its resolution 2149 (2014) on 10 April 2014 for the deployment of United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (namely MINUSCA) to protect the civilians and their valuable property from massive destruction. Bangladesh also took the pride of being one of the pioneers to send its peacekeepers to the Central African Republic (CAR) in November 2014. Bangladeshi peacekeepers' robust yet compassionate approach has garnered the trust of local communities, facilitating dialogue among conflicting parties and supporting efforts toward long-term peace in the CAR. In today's highly competitive world, peacekeeping can't be accomplished the way it could be a decade before. Nowadays more countries are very keen to have their flags on the missions' canvas which created numerous competitions among the participating countries. Resource constraints, financial drawbacks, budget shrinking, changing dimension of missions' mandate, lack of modern equipment and armament, sustainability in adverse environment and achieving credibility in case of any eventuality pose many more challenges. Having encountered by so many factors, today Bangladesh is the second top military contributing country after Rwanda in the CAR.

There are numerous traditional and non-traditional security threats which peacekeepers need to encounter during their entire tour of duty in a year. Generally, traditional and security related threats are conflicts between armed groups and military combatants which often demand intervention of the peacekeepers at a high risk. Some armed elements are equipped with modern armaments including automatic rifles, grenade launchers, hand grenades, mortars, anti-aircraft weapons and drone capabilities. Rebels or armed groups seldom lay mines and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) enroute to deter the peacekeepers from any manoeuvre. In 2022, Bangladesh Army suffered heavy casualties losing three of its peacekeepers due to IED explosion while carrying out a special operation in a very remote area in CAR. Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration in short DDR (a UN program for ex-combatants) is another challenge which often misleads the militants to intense armed conflicts and provokes engagement in fighting against the peacekeepers. Apart from the traditional security challenges, there are other non-traditional security threats concerning geopolitical, demographic, adverse climatic conditions, inaccessible roads, unknown diseases, diversified ethnicity, international politics, host nations' political matrix, etc. Knowing all these uncertainties, Bangladeshi peacekeepers carry out critical tasks, including patrolling in volatile regions, protecting civilians, disarming armed groups, and ensuring the safety of humanitarian workers.

In today's era of artificial intelligence or technological revolution, image building or branding a nation's name and fame in the international forum became more competitive than that of earlier years. By virtue of participation in peacekeeping missions, Bangladesh Army is hoisting the flag of Bangladesh with pride and glory making a brand name in the field of international peacebuilding. There are more than a hundred countries participating in a mission and thousands of nationals working together which make a unique opportunity to foster international relations and represent our beloved motherland to a great platform. By carrying out joint operations, patrolling, interaction or coordination everywhere, the brave peacekeepers do care about the image of the country. Significant national days are also observed in a very colourful manner displaying glorious history, culture, traditions, economic prospects for foreign investors and investment in the host country for collective gains.

Keeping the challenges apart, let us focus on the numerous opportunities for Bangladesh. First, the participation of Bangladeshi peacekeepers in mitigation of global conflicts showcases the nation's commitment to peace and international security, enhancing its image as a responsible and idealistic member of the international community. It also increases credibility of the global community by the vibrant presence of the peacekeepers. Bangladesh Army had to come through a thorny long way to reach today's well accepted platform and proudly stand as a more dependable partner in restoring world peace and stability. Peacekeeping missions render scope for soft skill development and influence diplomatic ties not only with the host nation, but also with all participating nationals to a great extent.

In the CAR, there are many sectors where Bangladesh has many doors to open for promoting international trade and commerce. The country has an area of 620,000 square-kilometres of land with a total population of 5,357,744 where there are enormous scopes for investment. The per capita income of the country is one of the lowest in the world (approximately $400) despite having abundant mineral and natural resources. The country has substantial diamond and gold reserves, and other precious mineral resources such as uranium, iron ore, copper, manganese, and graphite. Besides minerals, the country also possesses substantial water resources for agriculture and hydroelectric power, large forest cover, and fish populations. The CAR is divided into 20 administrative prefectures and two economic prefectures, which are further divided into 84 sub-prefectures. For example, Bangladesh Battalion-11 has been deployed in a sub-prefecture named Bouar which alone covers an area of 36,535 square-kilometres with a population of 175,062, i.e. a density of 4.81 inhabitants/square-kilometres. The main crops grown in the Bouar area are corn, peanuts, cassava, yams and food crops such as eggplant, carrot, cabbage, lettuce, green beans, etc. The only cash crop that has recently been introduced by the sub-prefecture is the oil palm. The soil is naturally fertile for field crops, except for market gardening, which is generally grown on the same soil and requires additional organic matter. Bangladeshi partnership may contribute to develop the agricultural sector by capacity building for managers and field agents through training on new technologies and supporting producers with suitable agricultural kits. This presence shall open new opportunities for other possible fields for Bangladesh.

Peacekeeping missions found a solid ground to achieve common objectives among the host country and the contributing nations. The positive international reputation gained through peacekeeping can help attract foreign investment and greater economic assistance, benefiting the nation's development. Bangladesh Army even played more responsibilities beyond the box by establishing a health centre named 'Touadera Community Clinic' (In the name of the President Faustin-Archange Touadera) which was funded and founded by Bangladesh Army as a testament of its commitment to supporting rehabilitation of the common population. The clinic was inaugurated in the capital city, Bangui on 04 March 2025 by the Honorable President of the Central African Republic and Chief of Army Staff of Bangladesh. Additionally, all equipment and medicines were provided by Bangladesh Army and with a provision of providing doctors for two years. Bangladesh Army also offered scholarship to a few students to study in Armed Forces Medical College for capacity building which made a history in peacekeeping mission specially in the CAR. Captitalizing on this bridging, phamaceuticals companies of Bangladesh may explore scopes for investment by establishing factories and exporting their medicines too. It is pertinent to mention that labour wages would be much cheaper in the CAR because of less employment facilities. Readymade garments have also huge economic prospects in the CAR because of its location at the heart of Africa. By investing in this sector our internationally reputed companies and their brands can be founded here to create a gateway to the whole African market and beyond.

Initiatives and coordination between different stakeholders, military, bureaucrats, businessmen, politicians, exporters, civil societies, etc should be well concerted to get the probable outcomes. Merely, visit, presentation, assessment may not produce expected results. Public diplomacy, business entrepreneurship, political goodwill, military cohesiveness and, above all, prudent foreign policy combined with diplomatic endeavour would be key factors to emphasize. It is also equally important to arrange a countrywide campaign through Bangladesh Armed Forces and their civil counterparts to create awareness among the mass people. International Day of United Nations Peackeepers is globally observed on May 29 every year which is to be also celebrated all over Bangladesh to build national consensus, especially in the educational institutions. However, modern armaments and equipment are needed to be incorporated into the weaponry to support the ongoing and future peacekeeping missions. Finally, national and international media coverage should be well orchestrated to appropriately project the contributions of the Bangladeshi peacekeepers around the globe.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission is a powerful tool for Bangladesh's branding. Carrying the glorious legacy of 37 years of service to international peace, Bangladesh can uplift itself as a leader and responsible member of the world community by gaining global citizenship. Bangladesh Army vows for its preparedness for peacekeeping missions and stays committed to continuing the peacekeeping support to United Nations vis-à-vis ensuring humanitarian assistance for stable and peaceful existence of the people in the Central African Republic and other mission areas.

Lieutenant Colonel Abu Haider Md Assaduzzaman, PhD, AEC is at present serving as the Civil-Military Coordination Officer of Bangladesh Battalion-11 deployed in the Central African Republic.

assad6807@gmail.com