Piercing Through the Dust of War: Comparing the operationalisation of local ownership in UN-led and African-led peackeeping operations

Piercing through the dust of wars in Sub-Saharan Africa has become increasingly difficult for peacekeeping operations. UN-led and regionally-led operations in this region face increasing challenges due to the evolving dynamics of intrastate conflicts and the inability of these organisations to adapt, leading to intensified violence and rising civilian casualties. The concept of local ownership in peacebuilding has gained traction over the decades as a response to these challenges but remains inadequately implemented and formulated in contemporary peacekeeping operations. This thesis conducts a focused structured comparison of two case studies in Sub-Saharan Africa – Mali and the DRC – to examine how specific approaches to local ownership influence the effectiveness of these peacekeeping operations. The findings reveal several overarching limitations in current approaches to local ownership in both UN-led and regionally-led missions, as well as some country- and region-specific...Show morePiercing through the dust of wars in Sub-Saharan Africa has become increasingly difficult for peacekeeping operations. UN-led and regionally-led operations in this region face increasing challenges due to the evolving dynamics of intrastate conflicts and the inability of these organisations to adapt, leading to intensified violence and rising civilian casualties. The concept of local ownership in peacebuilding has gained traction over the decades as a response to these challenges but remains inadequately implemented and formulated in contemporary peacekeeping operations. This thesis conducts a focused structured comparison of two case studies in Sub-Saharan Africa – Mali and the DRC – to examine how specific approaches to local ownership influence the effectiveness of these peacekeeping operations. The findings reveal several overarching limitations in current approaches to local ownership in both UN-led and regionally-led missions, as well as some country- and region-specific issues. The key limitations include a severe lack of inter-organisational cooperation and communication, the apparent inability of peacekeeping operations to adapt to the rapidly changing nature of conflicts, failure to integrate various levels of governance in local ownership projects, and the tendency to view local ownership as a means to an end rather than part of a comprehensive framework for sustainable peace. This research contributes to the existing literature by highlighting the challenges faced by both the UN and regional organisations in transitioning from UN-dominated peacekeeping to regional ownership of these missions in Sub-Saharan Africa.Show less

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Piercing Through the Dust of War: Comparing the operationalisation of local ownership in UN-led and African-led peackeeping operations