Efficacy of United Nations Peacekeeping Strategy in Resolving Protracted Conflicts in Africa: A Case of Peacekeeping Operations in Central African Republic (2014-2023)
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Date
2024
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Daystar University, School of Arts and Social Sciences
Abstract
The study's overall objective was to examine the efficacy of the United Nations peacekeeping strategy in resolving protracted conflicts in the Central African Republic (2014-2023). ‘The study objectives included examining the status of the Protracted Conflicts in CAR; evaluating the effectiveness of UN peacekeeping strategy in resolving persistent conflicts in CAR and identifying factors impeding the success of UN peacekeeping in addressing protracted conflicts in CAR’. Social Conflict Theory and Liberal Peace theory underpinned the study. The study adopted a mixed concurrent research methodology. The study population comprised the MINUSCA personnel, residents, NGO workers, and local administrators. The study was located at the Vakaga prefecture, Birao Sub-prefecture, one of the hotspot areas in CAR. The study used convenience and simple random sampling techniques to pick the respondents from whom the primary data will be collected. The study used a sample size comprising 311 respondents. Structured questionnaires, interview schedules, and Focus Group Discussions collected primary data. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis, while quantitative data was analyzed using simple descriptive statistics with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The findings noted a significant reduction in violent conflict in Vakaga Prefecture in CAR. However, there remain incidents of conflicts often targeting civilians. Therefore, UN peacekeeping strategy via MINUSCA effectively resolved protracted conflict that has been bewildering Vakaga Prefecture in CAR. MINUSCA achieved this by preventing conflict escalation between conflicting armed groups; undertaking disarmament by working side by side with the Central African armed forces; providing humanitarian assistance such as food, medical services, and education; establishing safe zones where IDP civilians stay towards its mission mandate of protecting CAR citizens from militias groups; supporting democratic electoral processes through mediating electoral law reforms and facilitating dialogue between representatives of the government, armed groups, and political and social leaders. Even with such success, several factors have often impeded UN peacekeeping strategy through MINUSCA. These factors included low levels of local community participation in some MINUSCA-fostered dialogues and peace initiatives, inadequate host government cooperation and support, insufficient financial resources, external actors concerned with resource exploitation and overstretched resources of MINUSCA. The study recommends that the United Nations Security Council extend MINUSCA's mandate from a containment approach to transformation in essential sectors. The government of CAR and MINUSCA should ensure that the peace process is closely linked to justice. The government of CAR ought to work towards strengthening its capacity to protect the population against various threats.
Description
MASTER OF ARTS in Diplomacy, Development and International Security
Keywords
Efficacy, United Nations peacekeeping strategy, Status of the Protracted Conflicts in CAR, Social Conflict Theory and Liberal Peace theory
Citation
Mutinda, E. K. (2024). Efficacy of United Nations Peacekeeping Strategy in Resolving Protracted Conflicts in Africa: A Case of Peacekeeping Operations in Central African Republic (2014-2023). Daystar University, School of Arts and Social Sciences