Introduction
This assignment’s focus is peacemaking and peacekeeping operations that have taken place in African countries. Peacekeeping groups active in Africa and the roles they play in African countries are reviewed using different literature. With an additional emphasis on the consequences of constant conflicts and wars in various African countries, the assignment also includes the reasons for deploying these peacekeeper groups. The assignment also raises the topic of the effectiveness of these groups, their criticism, and debates about whether the peacekeeping missions help or worsen the situation.
Initial Thoughts and Ideas
Through arranging negotiations and meditation, peacemaking eventually results in long-term results by encouraging people to solve their differences and not resolve to violence. Even though peacemaking includes military involvement, all the activities are implemented by the U.N. and are accountable for the outcomes. As such, even with the differences in execution processes, their main goal is to bring peace and avoid future incidents. Peacemaking missions intervene in attempts to bring an agreement to the parties, prevent minor disputes from becoming massive conflicts, stop fighting, and uphold peace. Most of the criticism of peacemaking arises from higher expectations for the outcomes. Nonetheless, the missions successfully restored peace and ended human suffering in African countries.
The Context and Choice of Rationale of the Literature
Books, peer-reviewed articles, and journals were used to ensure the information used in the study was verifiable. The context of the used literature is centered around the peacemaking operations in African countries, their efficiency, and their outcomes. In addition, the literature highlights the methods used in conducting the missions to achieve the goal and the authority behind them. Various debates, discussions, and criticism were applied to ensure the fairness of the study.
Aims, Objectives, and Questions
The assignment aims to identify the peacemaking and peacekeeping missions and operations that have been conducted in African countries. Additionally, it attempts to determine whether these missions and the means used in them could be considered effective and the outcomes successful and positive. The question to be answered is how these missions should be undertaken and what procedures should be followed to bring success to the operation of installing peace in African countries.
Research strategy
The research discusses thoughts and ideas concerning peacemaking and peacekeeping operations in African countries, starting with defining the concepts of both. The peacekeeping groups in Africa and their roles are discussed to ensure the reader has a better understanding of the research’s focus. Displaying the various consequences of conflicts, disputes, and wars helps identify the reason for deploying peacekeepers in those countries. Their criticism is elaborately discussed to identify the effectiveness of peacekeeping missions. Answering the questions and addressing the study’s objectives includes the challenges the peacekeeping missions face and their success. The study’s conclusion is drawn based on all the literature and information analyzed.
Literature Review
The sources used in the research are in line with the inclusion and exclusion criteria that fit its design, ensuring the materials are credible. The recommended standards for the sources include the populations studied and the timeline and outcomes of the study.
Literature Review concerning the Study’s Question
Peacekeeping refers to the process of bringing peace to people, involving a transition from fighting to communication and maintaining peaceful relations. Peacekeeping involves employing military forces to maintain a truce between fighting communities. The peacekeeping forces are tasked with protecting all civilians, removing landmines, and essentially ending the fights and conflicts. In doing so, they were able to stop the destruction of life and property and improve people’s lives in African countries. However, the initiatives are flawed since Africans cannot utilize their available resources, build and develop together towards a common goal. As such, the U.N. can correct these flaws by accepting coalitions and help from other peacekeeping bodies.
Unexpected Findings
Some of the peacekeepers were sexually exploiting and abusing the members of the African communities. Mismanagement of funds is a common problem, preventing the success of the missions. The geography of Africa is complicated for peacekeepers to navigate. In some cases, rich countries do not care for the missions’ participants and misuse power and money to intimidate and silence their leaders.
Main findings, implications, and recommendations
The research identified the need for peacemaking and peacekeeping operations in African counties due to frequent assurances of conflicts and wars. The missions have successfully restored peace; thus, they should be continued to keep preserving innocent lives. The issues and mistakes of these missions mentioned in the criticism should be looked into and corrected.
References
Adetiba, T., (2017). South Africa military and peacekeeping efforts: a new paradigm shift in its foreign policy since 1994. Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, 9(5), pp.157-168.
Bara, C. and Hultman, L. 2020. Just different hats? Comparing U.N. and non-UN peacekeeping. International Peacekeeping, 27(3), pp.341-368.
Blair, R., Di Salvatore, J. and Smidt, H. (2020). When Do U.N. peacekeeping operations implement their mandates? doi: 10.1111/ajps.12650
Botha, A. (2021). Peacekeeping in Africa while preventing and countering violent extremism. Edited by H. Solomon. Directions in International Terrorism, pp. 149-186.
Cil, D. et al. (2020). Mapping blue helmets: introducing the geocoded peacekeeping operations (Geo-PKO) dataset. Journal of Peace Research, 57(2), pp.360-370.