Whatever sophisticated capabilities may be deployed across the world, and however much strategic communications can be improved, peacekeepers cannot achieve much if they do not have the right mindset to act proactively and decisively in protecting civilians in danger.
The call was echoed on Monday, October 23, by the Minister of Defence, Juvenal Marizamunda, as the fourth and final United Nations preparatory conference for the 2023 peacekeeping ministerial on the protection of civilians and strategic communications started in Kigali.
Marizamunda told a packed conference hall at in Kigali that the meeting comes at a time when peacekeeping missions across the world are facing serious challenges in their deployment.
These challenges, he maintained, are particularly acute with respect to the core task of protecting civilians in a context where disinformation, misinformation, and hate speech are being propagated faster than ever through social media platforms.
"Hate speech is a uniquely dangerous phenomenon that requires our sustained attention and collective engagement," he noted, and added; "It creates a toxic environment that hinders a constructive dialogue."
"Hate speech reinforces discrimination, undermines social cohesion, and contributes to the marginalization and stigmatization of targeted communities based on ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation, among many others."
Precursor of mass killings, genocide
In Rwanda, Marizamunda said, hate speech served as a precursor and enabler of mass killings and the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
He said: "In 1994, the Tutsi of Rwanda experienced the devastating effects of disinformation and extremist propaganda mainstreamed by state-owned media in the silent presence of the international community."
"The disinformation and hate speech campaign was spearheaded by the then government officials, whose remnants remain active today, notably under an armed group known as FDLR, and its allies in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo," he added.
Their (FDLR) genocidal ideology is now directed against Congolese communities of Rwandan expression with the support of the host government and in the presence of the international community.
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"Little is being done to stop disinformation and hate speech, despite several warnings, including that of a special advisor of the Secretary-General on the prevention of genocide in the United Nations Human Rights Commission."
By and large, Marizamunda said, disinformation, misinformation, and hate speech exploit the advancement of technology to spread using social media, citing that it is as useful to criminals as it is for peacekeepers.
"It is therefore up to us, the international community, to use technology more effectively as an enabler for mandate delivery in countering false messages and deconstructing false narratives to shape domestic and international perceptions about UN missions."
Exposing gaps
According to Marizamunda, the unprecedented wave of disinformation and hate speech targeting entire communities exploits the capacity gaps in strategic communication, eroding the trust and confidence of the local communities and undermining the peacekeepers' capacity to protect the endangered populations.
"We need to bridge these gaps through capacity building, digital literacy, and integrating strategic communication in our peace support operation at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels of command."
He highlighted that in simple and clear terms, "we must work to have a nudge over the peace spoilers to protect the civilians and achieve the mandated tasks successfully."
Martha Pobee, the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, pointed out that in a rapidly evolving information ecosystem where misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech arise, "it is more important than ever that missions have comprehensive communication strategies that are aligned with political and security priorities, anticipate risks, help manage expectations, and establish accurate, clear, and compelling narratives about the mission's activities and impact."
She added: "While strategic communications is on the front line of efforts to prevent and respond to information harms, we must build capacities across mission components to ensure a robust whole-of-mission approach to monitoring, analyzing, reporting, and responding."
Recreate momentum
The next two days of dialogue, according to Joost Flamand, the Director of Security Policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Netherlands, are an opportune moment to recreate momentum for UN peacekeeping missions ahead of the upcoming peacekeeping ministerial meeting in Accra, Ghana.
"And this momentum is necessary, because the UN peacekeeping missions, as we know them, face more and more obstacles. UN peacekeeping missions differ from most other forms of international military interventions in that they need the consent of the parties to the conflict. We all know that it is not always a given."
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He reiterated that regardless of the level of equipment, technology, or skills, multidimensional peacekeeping remains a huge challenge.
"If you cannot secure the support from the authorities or the trust of the local population, then you have to find ways to be effective in environments where new security actors operate or adapt to rapidly changing political contexts. And that means that we as countries committed to UN peacekeeping missions need to do better. We have to create new momentum."
Marizamunda reiterated Rwanda's commitment to playing its role in ensuring the effectiveness of U.N. peacekeeping operations.
"Rwanda will continue to deploy properly trained, skilled, and well-equipped personnel, commanders, and staff armed with the right mindset to effectively protect civilians in their areas of responsibility and to confront misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech in close collaboration with the host nation and other stakeholders."
Rwanda is currently the fourth biggest troop-contributing country in support of UN peacekeeping operations. It has peacekeepers in South Sudan and the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).
