On 24 September 2025, a United Nations delegation led by Resident Coordinator Marc-André Franche met with Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha at the Ministry of Defence in Colombo.
The discussions focused on enhancing the Sri Lankan military’s involvement in international peacekeeping operations. Key areas included expanding participation in UN missions, expediting the deployment screening process, and implementing specialised training programmes.
In 2007, over 100 Sri Lankan peacekeepers were implicated in a child sex ring in Haiti. Sri Lankan troops were accused of exchanging food and money for sex with girls and boys as young as 12. While most of the accused were repatriated, none have been criminally prosecuted.
The Sri Lankan military also stands accused of a litany of war crimes, particularly towards the end of the armed conflict where they deliberately shelled hospitals, food distribution lines and other humanitarian objects, killing tens of thousands of Tamils. To date, there has been no justice or accountability for the 2009 Mullivaikal genocide, which involved indiscriminate shelling of civilians, hospital bombings, and the alleged use of chemical weapons.
Despite these atrocities, the UN delegation reaffirmed its support for Sri Lanka’s military role abroad.
