NGOs and the Military

The 1990s witnessed an explosion of Western military involvement in complex emergency operations requiring cooperation with relief agencies. Recent operations include a failed attempt to reconstitute viable central government in Somalia, return of democratically-elected government to Haiti, alleviation of human suffering in Rwanda and Zaire, operations to end conflict and support multi-ethnic government in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and an effort to stop ethnic terror in Kosovo. In these operations US and allied militaries, UN agencies and various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have worked together to ameliorate the suffering caused by war and poor governance. 1 Yet, despite this mounting experience, the military has failed to take advantage of the skills and capabilities of relief agencies. As a result, operations are often needlessly chaotic. At best, this chaos leads to a waste of time and effort; at worst, the cost is measured in lives and suffering. 2 The crisis in Rwanda illustrates the heavy price of failure. After the 1994 genocide and massive refugee flows, the US and allied militaries assisted relief workers aiding Hutu refugees in Zaire, Rwanda, and elsewhere in the region. Poor planning and coordination were the hallmark of both the military and relief operations. Military officers did not know the capabilities of various NGOs, ignoring their knowledge of sanitation, water purification, and other essentials. Over 100 NGOs were active, yet they did not inform the international community or one another of their activities or presence. Planes landed on airports with limited ramp space and insufficient fuel. Because of poor planning, non-priority cargo often landed before essential items, such as water treatment equipment. Thousands died each day due to a lack of clean water and proper sanitation. Aside from these operational blunders, overall political direction was disastrous. No country took the lead, and the United Nations could not fill the void. France and the United States worked at cross-purposes. Even more damning, the relief actually aided the perpetrators of genocide, strengthening the Hutu interahamwe, who were responsible for the mass killings of Tutsis and Hutu moderates in Rwanda. Aid to these killers eventually led the civil war to re-ignite and consume Zaire as well.