The Brigade Commander, 24 Task Force Brigade Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), Brigadier General Sylvincent Bruce Nwachukwu Egbulem, recently delivered a lecture titled ‘Introduction to Concepts and Contemporary Issues in Peace Support Operations (PSOs)’, to participants of Naval Warfare Course (NWC) 10 of the Naval War College Nigeria (NWCN). The lecture, held at the College Auditorium was aimed at critically examining the concepts, evolution, principles and contemporary issues surrounding PSOs with a view to making recommendations.
During the lecture, Brigadier General SBN Egbulem examined the evolution of peacekeeping from its traditional focus on monitoring ceasefires between warring states to contemporary PSOs, which employ a combination of military and non-military instruments to restoring sustainable peace. He noted that contemporary PSOs has evolved into comprehensive interventions involving the military and other stakeholders working together to stabilize fragile societies, protect civilians and support political transitions. He further highlighted the distinction between traditional peacekeeping and broader PSOs, noting that while traditional peacekeeping generally relies on the consent of parties involved, impartiality and limited use of force in self-defence, PSOs may involve robust use of force, military-police-civilian integration, political stabilization and institution-building in conflict resolution. In examining the future of global and regional PSOs, the Guest Speaker identified asymmetric warfare, cyber threats, organized crime, climate-induced insecurity, and mass displacement as emerging challenges requiring PSOs to become more adaptive, technologically advanced and strategically integrated. He also advocated predictable and sustainable financing for regional PSOs, enhanced training and interoperability, multidimensional approaches, and responsible adoption of emerging technologies amongst others as key recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness and sustainability of future PSOs.
The Deputy Commandant and Director of Studies NWCN, Commodore AO Obisesan, expressed his sincere appreciation to the Guest Speaker for the insightful lecture noting that it had provided the NWC 10 participants with a deeper understanding of the evolving nature of PSOs. He urged the course participants to reflect deeply on the issues raised and consider how the lessons could be applied to Nigeria’s national security environment.
