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Nigeria – International Force for Peace
Protecting democracy, by peacekeeping the continent and beyond, is a foreign policy priority
From its days as a British colony, when Nigerian troops fought in both World War I and II, Nigeria has never shied away from becoming involved in international affairs. Since it gained independence in 1960, the country has become a leading global peacekeeper. Its foreign policy is based on the principle that the continent of Africa should consist of independent African nations, and that these nations should act in harmony and unity.
An ethical foreign policy
Nigeria’s foreign strategy centres on these ideals: non-alignment and non-interference in the internal affairs of other nations, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and supporting regional economic co-operation and progress. In 1963, Nigeria was a founding member of the African Union, and has often used it to transmit major policy initiatives. In 1975, the country helped to found the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The first chance for Nigeria to demonstrate its foreign policy commitment came with its support for the freedom fighters of Zimbabwe and South Africa. From the 1970 onward the country supported the leftist rebels in Angola. Nigeria extended diplomatic support to Sam Nujoma's SWAPO movement in Namibia, to help destabilise the South African-installed puppet regime. The nation also sent military equipment to Mozambique, to help suppress the South African backed RENAMO guerrillas. The country did not go so far as to provide soldiers in support of the conflicts, but instead provided military training in the 1970s for the forces led by Robert Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo, who were fighting against Ian Smith’s white rule government in Zimbabwe, then Rhodesia.
Keeping the peace in Liberia
Within days of the declaration of independence in 1960, Nigeria had sent peacekeeping forces to the Congo. More recently, the nation was the driving force behind the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), which was established in 1990. The armed monitoring group was successful in bringing stability back to Liberia by 1997, and was instrumental in protecting Sierra Leone shortly afterwards. Almost 10,000 Nigerian troops were sent to Sierra Leone in 1999, and were essential in the establishing of the 2002 peace agreement. In 1999, ECOMOG troops were successfully deployed in Guinea-Bissau. By 2001, the government of Nigeria estimated that it had spent USD13 billion on peacekeeping operations over the previous 12 years. ECOMOG's role should eventually be taken over by the African Union's African Standby Force.
Nigerian troops are still in Liberia today, as part of the United Nations Mission to Liberia (UNMIL). In August 2008, UN Envoy Ellen Margrethe Løj awarded peacekeeping medals to 1,649 Nigerian infantry, engineering and medical military personnel. Recounting Nigeria's leading role in UN peacekeeping, both in Liberia and the rest of the world, Ms Løj commended Nigeria’s commitment to peace.
Maintaining stability in Sudan
Nigerian soldiers have carried out peacekeeping duties all over the world, including Bosnia, Haiti and Iraq, but have had their highest profile roles nearer home. Nigerian forces have been present in all the United Nations peacekeeping missions in Africa: Cote D'Ivoire, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Western Sahara. Many of the 7,000 soldiers in the African Union military force based in Darfur, Sudan until December 2007 were Nigerian.
Peacekeeping comes at a price though. In October 2007, seven Nigerian soldiers were attacked and killed by rebels near Darfur. The peacekeepers were members of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), which has since been integrated into the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), a joint African Union and United Nations peacekeeping mission. At present about a third of the 26,000 strong force has been deployed. Since Nigeria joined UNAMID, two of its peacekeepers have been killed, one in July and one in October 2008, when his patrol was ambushed by as many as 60 gunmen. A ceasefire was announced in November 2008.
