MOSCOW, May 29. /TASS/. The Western countries' loss of influence in Africa and reorientation of the continent's states towards closer cooperation with Russia creates a favorable background for Russian peacekeepers in the UN missions in the region, Yury Vidakas, the president of the Interregional Public Organization of Veterans of UN Peacekeeping Missions, has told TASS.

As of now, there are personnel from Russia in seven UN peacekeeping missions: in Abyei (a disputed territory on the border of North and South Sudan), in the Middle East, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Western Sahara, in Cyprus, in the Central African Republic and in South Sudan.

"I myself have four missions to my credit and I can say that the revision of African states' relations with Western countries and the expansion of their partnership with Russia is now playing a very positive role in terms of the safety of our peacekeepers, because a great deal depends on the attitude of the host country," he said in comments timed to coincide with the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, which is celebrated on May 29.

Vidakas expressed confidence that at the moment a "quite unambiguously favorable background" has emerged for Russian specialists in Africa.

"If we look at the Francophone countries, earlier the reaction to our presence was somewhat negative there. Now it is more positive. We can even say that this is a breakthrough. This favorable attitude of the country's leadership also influences the population: people even go out to demonstrate in support of Russia. This has never happened before," the expert explained.

He also singled out the increase in the frequency of high-level contacts as an important factor determining the positive attitude towards Russia in Africa.

"In recent years, two Russia-Africa summits have been held. This implies meetings of top officials, which, of course, also significantly improves the attitude to our activities," Vidakas continued. "You may not find anything written on this score anywhere, but believe me, such meetings definitely make it easier for our observers and police officers to perform their duties.

Expansion of activities

The expert recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin had repeatedly emphasized the need for expanding ties with Africa at various levels. In this context, he named possible areas for intensifying Russian efforts in peacekeeping on the African continent.

"First, we need to give thought to deploying additional military hospitals in these countries. This is a soft power resource. Communication by word of mouth works extremely well. It is enough to cure several people and you will see many other ordinary locals coming to you for assistance the next day," Vidakas pointed out. "Secondly, we should work more actively with the African Union, organize commercial projects and events, and promote our contactors more actively. Third, we can run crash courses on UN peacekeeping at specialized universities."

"These three components of soft power could be a good supplement to our military component," he summarized.

International Day of UN Peacekeepers

May 29 marks the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. The day was established under the UN General Assembly resolution 57/129 of December 11, 2002. The date of May 29 was chosen because on that day in 1948 the first UN peacekeeping mission was established - the United Nations body to monitor the implementation of armistice in the Middle East. The world organization calls for observing this date as a token of respect for all members of UN peacekeeping contingents.

Each year, the Day is dedicated to a specific theme. In 2024, it is Fit for the Future, Building Better Together. The UN website notes that this year's theme "emphasizes the importance of fostering collaboration and innovation to address the evolving challenges of peacekeeping effectively" and drives "progress, peace, and sustainable development, ultimately creating a better future for all."