UN peacekeepers face greater threats from complex conflicts

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The more than 87,000 personnel in U.N. peacekeeping missions are confronting greater threats today because conflicts have become more complex and are driven by an increasing number of factors ranging from ethnic tensions and the impact of organized crime to illegal exploitation of resources and terrorism. Jean-Pierre Lacroix said in an AP interview Friday that even compared to two or three years ago, “most of our peacekeeping missions have a political and security environment that has deteriorated.” He said “equally important” is that conflicts are “multi-layered” and very often local and national, but also regional and global.