The deadly toll of the M23’s military escalation has presented an urgent call for international attention and support, including consideration of punitive measures against armed groups that attack civilians and peacekeepers. It also forced SADC member states to make a choice: showcase their commitment to regional conflict management under the SADC Mutual Defence Pact by reinforcing SAMIDRC or withdraw the mission. Their choice for withdrawal reflected waning political support for the mission, particularly among the three troop-contributing countries (TCCs), as the operating environment turned more hostile and the mission failed to show results.
Tag: peacekeeping
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Karim Makdisi, Associate Professor of International Politics at the American University of Beirut, discusses the role of UNIFIL—both historically and today—including its mandate to protect civilians.
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After nearly two decades of effort and intense negotiations, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2719 on December 21, 2023. The resolution represents a major step forward in the partnership between the United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU), and provides a framework for AU-led peace support operations (PSOs) to access UN assessed contributions on a case-by-case basis. While the importance of the resolution should not be understated, much of the real work to operationalize it is still ongoing. This article outlines the key challenges and critical steps needed to ensure the resolution’s successful implementation.
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A UN independent fact-finding mission to Sudan cited grave human rights violations and called for the immediate deployment of an independent and impartial force to protect civilians. Jenna Russo looks at the feasibility of a peacekeeping force.
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At first glance, this year’s Ministerial was nothing out of the ordinary. Yet, given policy discussions over the past year, this in itself is significant. Less than a year ago, many stakeholders were questioning whether we had reached the end of UN peacekeeping.
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The UN’s multidimensional approach to peace support cannot simply be replaced by putting more non-UN boots on the ground.
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There seems to be a disconnect between the overall diagnosis of the New Agenda for Peace and its prescriptions for peace operations.
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The difficulties inherent in the liquidation and reconfiguration of the UN presence in Mali will be exacerbated by the lack of preparation and tension with the host government.
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A peacekeeping transition that mitigates the risks to civilians to the greatest extent possible is the UN’s best chance to continue implementing the principles of the Charter.
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Significant strides have been made in developing an understanding that the protection of civilians is integral to peacekeeping. There is a risk of backsliding.
