Enhancing Civilian Protection in Peace Operations: Insights from Africa
Identifying lessons learned from African operations, Paul Williams offers priorities for improving civilian protection in peace operations.
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Identifying lessons learned from African operations, Paul Williams offers priorities for improving civilian protection in peace operations.
Download PDF: English | Français | Português Peace operations have been a principal tool used to curb conflict in Africa over the past decade, with over 40 operations deployed since 2000. This Security Brief takes stock of lessons learned from these experiences and the implications they hold for improving the effectiveness of future peace operations... Continue Reading
A significant development in Africa over the past decade has been the generalized lessening of violent conflict. Revitalized, expanded international peacekeeping, bolstered by a newly launched African Union determination to tackle security challenges, has reinforced this trend. But, much more cohesive interagency coordination under strong White House direction is required if the United States is to contribute to Africa’s sustained stability given the region’s persistent conditions of poverty, inequality, and weak governance.
Africa Center research offers strategic analysis of Africa’s security challenges and practical, evidence-based insights into paths forward.
Attaining and sustaining peace across Africa is critically dependent on the ability of Africa’s security sector to respond in a timely manner, get troops and supplies to areas of greatest need, establish reliable communications infrastructure, relocate vulnerable and affected groups, and sustain efforts aimed at ensuring stability and democratic values. This is the realm of... Continue Reading
(See more recent readings on this topic here.) Securing Legitimate Stability in the DRC: External Assumptions and Local Perspectives By Jaïr van der Lijn, Tim Glawion, and Nikki de Zwaan, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, September 30, 2019 Surveys and interviews conducted in South Kivu examine the roles of the Armed Forces of the DRC... Continue Reading
(See more recent readings on this topic here.) The Problem with Militias in Somalia: Almost Everyone Wants Them Despite Their Dangers By Vanda Felbab-Brown, UN Centre for Policy Research, April 14, 2020 Militias can present an attractive alternative to state forces but they carry many risks. Somalia, which hosts many militias, reveals why states and... Continue Reading
(See more recent readings on this topic here.) Elections in the Tshisekedi Era : A Bad Start? By Groupe d’étude sur le Congo and Ebuteli, October 31, 2022 The lessons of the controversial 2018 elections have seemingly not been learned, and numerous challenges remain as DRC prepares for elections in late 2023. The Electoral Commission... Continue Reading
(See more recent readings on this topic here.) Global Illicit Flows and Local Conflict Dynamics: The Case for Pre-Emptive Analysis and Experimental Policy Options By Mark Shaw and Tuesday Reitano, Crime-Conflict Nexus Series No. 2, United Nations University Centre for Policy Research, May 31, 2017 The linkages between transnational illicit economies and local conflicts are... Continue Reading
(See more recent readings on this topic here.) IMobile money and organised crime in Africa By Interpol, ENACT, June 30, 2020 Peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers are the most used mobile payment services globally, and providers already operate in at least 45 African countries. Transnational criminal syndicates have also embraced P2P technology: to facilitate money laundering, extortion,... Continue Reading