Kazakh Military Wore UN Peacekeepers' Blue Helmets During Almaty Protests

Belarusian peacekeepers were seen wearing something resembling the UN emblem.

The United Nations (UN) expressed concern that Kazakh military personnel had worn blue helmets bearing the UN emblem, noting that only members of the organization's peacekeeping contingents have the right to wear such helmets. 

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said this at a briefing in New York. The photographs of Kazakh soldiers in blue helmets, taken on January 6, 2022 by photographer Vladimir Tretyakov, were then distributed by the Associated Press photo agency. 

However, attention was drawn to the photos after British journalist Jake Hanrahan posted them on Twitter with the caption: “Kazakh military spotted wearing UN helmets. Is this some kind of twisted form of trolling?”.

The UN spokesperson said the organization had checked the sources from which the photos of soldiers in helmets bearing the UN emblem were distributed. 

Stéphane Dujarric
UN spokesperson

Clearly, countries that provide the UN with military and police contingents must use the UN emblem only when it comes to carrying out the mandate of UN peacekeepers and participating in UN peacekeeping operations approved by the UN Security Council. 

He added that the organization had shared its concern with Kazakhstan's Permanent Mission to the UN, where in response it was assured that “this issue has been resolved”. 

The Kazakh armed forces include the Kazbat peacekeeping unit, which cooperates with the UN and has taken part in joint missions, for example in Lebanon. 

The Kazakh service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that unit members are allowed to wear UN blue helmets, but only during parades or when taking part in UN peacekeeping missions. 

A representative of the Kazakh Defense Ministry, speaking to the outlet, identified the soldiers in the photos as part of the Kazbat battalion, which at the time of filming was not taking part in any UN mission but was engaged in “guarding strategic facilities, airports and government buildings” in Almaty. 

Kazakhstan's Permanent Representative to the UN, Magzhan Ilyassov, said on Twitter that the Kazbat peacekeeping unit had been put on heightened combat readiness “to help and protect the city's strategic facilities from terrorists and extremists”. 

He noted that, apart from the blue helmets, no other equipment bearing the UN emblem had been used. 

On January 9, Belarusian state media published photos and video that “further compounded the confusion surrounding the blue helmets in Almaty.” The photos show Belarusian peacekeepers who arrived in Kazakhstan as part of the CSTO mission. 

The sleeve insignia on the uniforms of Belarusian soldiers resemble the UN emblem. Journalist Jake Hanrahan also noticed the photos. He wrote on Twitter: “More trolling?”.

In fact, however, these are insignia of the Belarusian peacekeeping company, a unit of the country's armed forces. The company's sleeve badge reads “Miratvorchaya rota” in Belarusian and “Peacekeeping company” in English.

Like the UN emblem, the peacekeeping company badge depicts a world map surrounded by olive branches, but the Belarusian badge also features crossed swords.