The United Nations (UN) receives a significant amount of its military and law enforcement personnel from Africa. This also applies to the experts from African countries dispatched on UN missions. Said experts, like the name suggests, are given special missions only experts can conduct, as well as privileges to enable them carry out their missions successfully.
Protecting peace and cooperation inside and outside Africa has become is a priority for countries, given how even external affairs find a way to affect the continent.
Consequently, African peacekeepers usually see their UN assignment as part of an overall strategy to guarantee stability and development for the continent in the long term.
These African UN peacekeepers could take on regular assignments or special missions, to which they are designated as experts on missions.
According to a document by the United Nations, experts on missions may be kept through a contract called a consultant contract, which specifies the terms of their employment and the duties they must uphold.
The document also notes that other persons may hold the status of experts on mission, even if they do not sign a consultant contract, but are no less selected by United Nations to carry out tasks or responsibilities for the organization.
Furthermore, these experts are granted the special rights required to carry out their duties for the UN, as well as the fact that the duties of “officials” and experts on mission are free from government control.
While some African countries have a sizable number of experts on missions, there are some countries on the continent that boast little to no experts.
Below are the top 10 of said countries.
Top 10 African countries with the lowest number of experts on UN missions mid 2024
Rank | Country | Number of experts on a mission | Global rank |
---|---|---|---|
1. |
Algeria |
2 |
3rd |
2. |
Burkina Faso |
3 |
10th |
3. |
Uganda |
4 |
12th |
4. |
Liberia |
4 |
13th |
5. |
Gambia |
4 |
16th |
6. |
Tanzania |
6 |
23rd |
7. |
Namibia |
6 |
25th |
8. |
Chad |
6 |
27th |
9. |
Cameroon |
6 |
28th |
10. |
Tunisia |
7 |
30th |