AFRICAN PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS IN RECENT YEARS (original) (raw)
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Help Yourself: Recent Trends in African Peacekeeping in Africa
This research addresses the significant challenges confronting African states at the forefront of conflict management on the continent. It begins with a simple observation: since the end of the Cold War, African states have been increasingly asked to provide peacekeeping forces to assist their neighbors embroiled in civil war and state crises. A variety of sub-regional, regional and international bodies have facilitated the deployment of troops from these relatively stronger states. Supporting this trend, the international community finds it convenient to argue for African peacekeeping efforts in Africa. But what kinds of solutions are really being provided? In addressing these points, this paper looks at the current active multilateral peacekeeping operations in Africa. The overall objective is to arrive at a better understanding of the critical African actors that are increasingly being pushed to the forefront to undertake peacekeeping on the continent.
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Peacekeeping and economic union are the two most important dimensions of African integration. The first section of this article aims to analyse some current challenges to African peacekeeping, peacemaking, and African integration. The continuing Libyan civil war epitomizes the diplomatic stalemates and military stalemates which form the limits of current African peacekeeping. It exposes the North African Regional Capability and North African Standby Brigade as paper structures which do not exist operationally, and so limit the capacity of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council. The military intervention of states outside Africa can polarize conflicts and escalate civil wars. Africa’s colonial epoch serves as a warning of the potential dangers of foreign military bases in Africa. In parts of West Africa, states sub-contract peacemaking and anti-terrorist operations to unsupervised local militias, which are lawless at best, and commit ethnic killings at worst. African integrat...
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These broader trends in international peacekeeping seem to be ignored, however, when it comes to efforts to resolve conflict on the African continent. More so than any other region, Africa is seen as presenting a unique challenge to those concerned with the maintenance of international peace and stability.
Hearing Before The Subcommittee On Africa Of The Committee On International Relations House Of Representatives One Hundred Eighth Congress, 2004
Peace operations in Africa attempt to fulfill lofty mandates while operating with minimal funding, and lacking the essential equipment, training, and expertise necessary to succeed. As well, most of the deployed troops come from the world’s most impoverished countries. The West, with the best-trained and equipped militaries, is not in the picture. Militaries in Western Europe are a shadow of their Cold War selves, and their few remaining capable units are deployed more often to the Balkans and Afghanistan and rarely to peace operations in Africa. The U.S. military faces enormous demands from conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Philippines and elsewhere. Nor has the United States been interested in peacekeeping in Africa since the debacle in Somalia. Further, even if U.S. troops were engaged they would become prime terrorist targets, severely hampering their effectiveness. Worse, too often some Western governments resort to conscience-salving measures adequate only to ensure ‘something was done’ instead of ensuring ‘what is needed is done’. There is a bright side: it comes from Africa. The African Union is far more keen to address humanitarian initiatives than its predecessor, the Organization of African Unity. Better, African states are willing to send their own soldiers to do peacekeeping on their continent, undeterred by lack of funds, equipment or training. Finally, the West’s reluctance to proffer military resources has resulting in their largely being replaced by private sector capabilities that work quite well with African militaries providing the support, logistics and expertise needed to ‘win peace.’
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His teaching and research interest include International Political Economy, human security, conflict analysis and resolution and peace studies in Africa. He has extensively published on African peace and development issues. He is currently working on his forthcoming book on Collective Security in Africa.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF HUMANITARIAN PEACEKEEPING IN AFRICA Prof
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Owing to the changing nature of international conflict, the 1990s witnessed a growing need for humanitarian peacekeeping operations, especially in Africa. The reluctance of the United Nations to be involved in peacekeeping operations in Africa compelled South Africa to take part in peacekeeping to assist neighbouring conflictridden states. There is, however, a discrepancy between the conceptualisation and application of peacekeeping and peace-enforcement operations. This notion is manifest in the changing nature of post-Cold War conflicts and requisite strategies, doctrines and operational procedures to execute these operations. A shift in South African defence policy was necessary to accommodate an expanded mandate to make provision for African peacekeeping missions. These humanitarian missions unfortunately also have unintended, latent consequences for the host populations, which can harm the peace operations as such. The aim of this article is to investigate traditional peacekeep...
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Since 1999 there has been a proliferation in the number of peace operations deployed to Africa. The majority of these peace operations have been deployed into situations where there is little peace to keep and to situations where belligerents are actively targeting civilians. The changing security environment and the changing expectations regarding the capacities and roles of peace operations in securing a lasting peace has catalyzed a substantial overhaul of peace and security architectures in the African continent.