Bernd 09/15/2020 (Tue) 19:47:03 No.40107 del
The information processing of the UN peackeepers had its own peculiarities, which hampered the overall effectiveness of their job - besides the caveats I already mentioned related to gathering data.
The first time in the history of UN peackeeping they established a specialized intelligence unit, the All Sources Information Fusion Unit (ASIFU), with localized subunits, and they fitted it into the structure of MINUSMA to cooperate with other branches' intelligence sections. But this led to confusions. For example MINUSMA HQ had 15 officer trusted with intel work, but they lacked in training in that area, however ASIFU had over 70 well trained intel officers. So on one hand due to competence ASIFU tried to lead the intel efforts, but due to it's place in the hierarchy MINUSMA HQ demanded that role to itself.
The different units used different and incompatible databases to store their info, the Dutch used their TITAAN system (used in NATO), but others used SAGE, which is standard for the UN.
Or the Swedish Task Force - subordinated to ASIFU HQ - only shared processed data with the superior unit, and not raw information.
The African units reported their collected raw info to the commander of the unit. Then he passed the still raw info to his superior, then that guy give it one level above, and so on until it landed on the desk of the MINUSMA commander, who confused intelligence officers during briefings who didn't get that info.

ASIFU's main target for its intelligence reports was the Force Commander, but they also made ones for strategic level, for UN organizations and offices above MINUSMA, and also to lower levels, for subunits, and civilian components of the peacekeepers in Mali too. However the needs and what ASIFU provided sometimes differed. Military commanders needed current and security related information, ASIFU prepared long term comprehensive reports.

From now on I want to look up info about the 2012 putsch, or even deviate from Mali, and about coups in general. I'm curious after the Brazilian example.