2 - The Evolution of Local-Level UN Peacekeeping

Summary

This chapter explains how UN peacekeeping operations (PKOs) have changed over time, paying particular attention to how UN PKO mandates have evolved to address communal disputes. It begins with a general overview of UN PKOs over time. The chapter then briefly reviews the academic research on international interventions, which offers robust evidence that peacekeepers bolster peace and stability after conflict. However, this scholarship has not sufficiently examined whether (or how) UN PKOs limit communal violence. Communal disputes are a critical source of instability, violence, and disorder around the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Conflict from such disputes has killed nearly 250,000 people in the region since the turn of the century, more than violence from governments or rebel groups. And the problem is getting worse. Given that climate change, global migration patterns, and the growth of violent extremism will likely exacerbate communal disputes in the coming years, it is vital to understand how UN peacekeepers can help resolve them. The chapter discusses what distinguishes communal violence from other forms of intrastate violence before concluding with a summary of local-level UN PKOs designed to address communal disputes.