TMC Topic Guide
Peacekeeping
Created: July 16, 2022
Last Updated: December 13, 2022
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See additional topic guides on China, Politics in Africa, North Africa, Africa South of the Sahara, Public Health, Civil-Military Relations, Immigration, Israel-Palestine, Iraq, NATO and European Security, Syria, Russia and Eurasia, and The War in Afghanistan.
Note: This guide pertains mainly to coverage of United Nations peacekeeping efforts and domestic peace strategies in countries and territories other than the United States. For United States involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel-Palestine, and Syria, please see the guides linked above.
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Table of contents
The United Nations
General analysis of humanitarian crises and international peacekeeping
Security and peacekeeping in Africa
General analysis
Burundi
Congo
Libya
Mali
Sudan
Somalia
Chinese international involvement and peacekeeping efforts
China and The United Nations
China and Africa
The United Nations
- Farsan Ghassim, Mathias Koenig-Archibugi, and Luis Cabrera, “Global citizens want a stronger and more democratic United Nations,” November 4, 2022.
- Pamina Firchow and Roger Mac Ginty, “Today is the International Day of Peace. Can you measure what peace is?” September 21, 2022.
- Allard Duursma, “Here’s what can undermine peacekeeping missions,” December 18, 2018.
- Matthew Hauenstein and Madhav Joshi, “What are the prospects for South Sudan’s new peace agreement? Here are the critical next steps,” October 29, 2018.
- Håvard Hegre, Lisa Hultman, and Håvard Mokleiv Nygård, “U.N. peacekeeping really can be effective. Here’s how we tabulated this,” June 28, 2018.
- Brandon Prins and Anup Phayal, “Armed peacekeepers really do protect civilians — with one big exception,” June 14, 2018.
- Claire Duguid, Catherine Lena Kelly, and Timothy Meyer, “How can the U.N. restore the rule of law to the Central African Republic? 5 things you need to know,” April 3, 2018.
- Lise Morjé Howard, “Should U.N. peacekeepers launch preemptive strikes? The Cruz report seems to think so,” March 16, 2018.
- Richard Gowan, “Could U.N. peacekeepers help end the war in Ukraine?” March 1, 2018.
- Christoph Vogel, “U.N. peacekeepers were killed in Congo. Here’s what we know,” December 8, 2017.
- Judith Verweijen, “Do U.N. forces work closely with host country governments? Not in Congo,” April 3, 2017.
- Lise Morjé Howard, “Trump wants to cut U.N. funding — but peacekeeping saves money, as well as lives,” March 31, 2017.
- Anjali Dayal, “Is U.N. peacekeeping under fire? Here’s what you need to know,” February 1, 2017.
- Erin R. Graham, “U.S. funding for the United Nations may not be as costly as you think,” January 31, 2017.
- Mara Pillinger, Ian Hurd, and Michael N. Barnett, “Thousands died when the U.N. brought cholera to Haiti. Here’s why it’s getting off scot-free,” March 28, 2016.
- Michael N. Barnett and Songying Fang, “The U.N. reviewed its peacekeeping. It ignored the 3 things that most need to change,” October 14, 2015.
- Erin R. Graham, “Ignore the old complaints about U.N. funding. Here are some new ones,” September 30, 2015.
- Cara E. Jones, “Why the experts are worried about Burundi,” July 21, 2015.
- Bernd Beber, Michael Gilligan, Jenny Guardado, and Sabrina Karim, “U.N. peacekeeping and transactional sex,” June 16, 2015.
- Susanna Campbell, “What Burundi’s crisis says about U.N. capacity to build peace,” May 18, 2015.
- Maggie Dwyer, “Are African peacekeepers prone to mutiny?” March 25, 2015.
- Ben Fishman “Could a U.N.-brokered pact save Libya?” January 22, 2015.
- Séverine Autesserre, “The everyday politics of international intervention,” June 27, 2014.
General analysis about humanitarian crises and international peacekeeping
- Kim Yi Dionne, “West Africa’s new regional peacekeeping force, explained,” December 13, 2022.
- Joshua A. Schwartz and Matthew Fuhrmann, “Do armed drones reduce terrorism? Here’s the data,” August 18, 2022.
- Allard Duursma, “Here’s what can undermine peacekeeping missions,” December 18, 2018.
- Séverine Autesserre, “There’s another way to build peace. And it doesn’t come from the top down,” October 23, 2018.
- Séverine Autesserre, “Three flawed ideas are hurting international peacebuilding,” March 15, 2017.
- George Frederick Willcoxon, “Why do countries relapse into war? Here are three good predictors,” March 29, 2017.
- Aila M. Matanock, “The FARC just became a Colombian political party. Here’s why elections are critical to a lasting peace,” August 30, 2017.
- Joshua Tucker, “How do women affect conflict, peace, and security? That depends on exactly what you’re asking,” September 29, 2017.
- Nayma Qayum, “There’s a massive humanitarian crisis in Bangladesh’s Rohingya refugee camps,” October 12, 2017.
- Séverine Autesserre, “The everyday politics of international intervention,” June 27, 2014.
- Gerald Schneider, “Will a cease-fire hold? Ask the stock market rather than the pundit,” February 16, 2017.
- Simone Dietrich and Matthew S. Winters, “Foreign aid can help combat anti-Western sentiment in Bangladesh,” July 2, 2016.
- Paul D. Williams, “Four questions — and answers — about U.S. support of peacekeeping in Africa,” May 15, 2015.
- Nina Wilén, “How to unite enemy fighters into a single national army (and what that means for peace),” November 11, 2015.
- Landry Signé and Grace Kpohazound, “Where delaying elections can build peace,” September 15, 2014.
Security and peacekeeping organizations in Africa
General analysis
- Kim Yi Dionne, “West Africa’s new regional peacekeeping force, explained,” December 13, 2022.
- Maggie Dwyer, “The events in Ivory Coast last week were a textbook case of mutiny,” January 10, 2017.
- Mark Kersten, “Sudan, South Africa and the future of the International Criminal Court in Africa,” October 13, 2015.
- Kristof Titeca, “An ‘LRA for Everyone?’ Constructing knowledge of rebel groups,” December 17, 2014.
- Landry Signé and Grace Kpohazounde, “Where delaying elections can build peace,” September 15, 2014.
Burundi
- Ralph S. Clem, “Here’s how to catch atrocities and human rights violations. (We’re looking at you, Burundi),” February 23, 2016.
- Cara E. Jones, “Why the experts are worried about Burundi,” July 21, 2015.
- Cameron Hudson, “We predicted Burundi’s crisis. Is the response working?” June 11, 2015.
- Susanna Campbell, “What Burundi’s crisis says about U.N. capacity to build peace,” May 18, 2015.
Congo
- Christoph Vogel, “U.N. peacekeepers were killed in Congo. Here’s what we know,” December 8, 2017.
- Judith Verweijen, “Do U.N. forces work closely with host country governments? Not in Congo,” April 3, 2017.
- Sarah von Billerbeck, “Is the news about Congo’s conflict minerals good?” June 18, 2014.
- Laura Seay, “Did cutting access to mineral wealth reduce violence in the DRC?” March 25, 2014.
Libya
Mali
- Jaimie Bleck, Abdoulaye Dembele, and Guindo Sidiki, “This is what citizens say is needed to end Mali’s insecurity,” November 27, 2015.
- Susanna D. Wing, “Five things you should know about Friday’s terrorist attack in Mali,” November 21, 2015.
- Laura Seay and Kim Yi Dionne, “Extremists stormed the Radisson hotel in Mali’s capital, and at least 20 people are dead. These resources can help you learn more,” November 20, 2015.
Sudan
- Nina McMurry and Laura Bosco, “South Sudan is fighting again. Can its peacekeeping mission work?” September 1, 2016.
- Matthew Hauenstein and Madhav Joshi, “What are the prospects for South Sudan’s new peace agreement? Here are the critical next steps,” October 29, 2018.
- Mark Kersten, “Sudan, South Africa, and the future of the International Criminal Court in Africa,” October 13, 2015.
Somalia
Chinese international involvement and peacekeeping efforts
China and the United Nations
China and Africa
- John McCauley, Margaret Pearson, and Xiaonan Wang, “Africa’s leaders welcome Chinese private investment. How do Africans feel?” December 9, 2021.
- Natalie Herbert, “China’s Belt and Road Initiative invests in African infrastructure — and African military and police forces,” April 30, 2021.
- Frangton Chiyemura, “Chinese firms — and African labor — are building Africa’s infrastructure,” April 2, 2021.
- Laura Seay, “What is China up to in Africa? Read this book,” August 28, 2020.
- Richard Aidoo, “African countries have started to push back against Chinese development aid. Here’s why,” October 16, 2018.
- Xiaojun Li, “China is offering ‘no strings attached aid’ to Africa. Here’s what that means,” September 27, 2018.
- Lina Benabdallah and Winslow Robertson, “Xi Jinping pledged $60 billion for Africa. Where will the money go?” September 17, 2018.
- Lina Benabdallah, “China-Africa military ties have deepened. Here are 4 things to know,” July 6, 2018.
- Dan Banik and Nikolai Hegertun, “Why do nations invest in international aid? Ask Norway. And China,” October 27, 2017.
- Christopher Adolph, Vanessa Quince, and Aseem Prakash, “Do African exports to China hurt labor rights? Here's what we found,” March 3, 2017.
- Janet Eom, “Donald Trump’s team has questions about China in Africa. Here are the answers,” January 16, 2017.
- Kim Yi Dionne, “Here’s what Africans think about China’s influence in their countries,” October 28, 2016.
- Bradley Parks, Roland Hodler, Axel Dreher, Paul Raschky, Michael J. Tierney, and Andreas Fuchs, “Chinese aid is helping African economies, but not in the places that need it most,” October 7, 2016.
- Winslow Robertson and Lina Benabdallah, “China pledged to invest $60 billion in Africa. Here’s what that means,” January 7, 2016.
- Aubrey Hruby and Jake Bright, “Why China’s role in Africa isn’t as dominant as you think,” December 4, 2015.
- Roudabeh Kishi and Clionadh Raleigh, “When China gives aid to African governments, they become more violent,” December 2, 2015.
- Hilary Matfess, “Should you worry about China’s investments in Africa?” September 9, 2015.
- Howard W. French, “Is ‘China in Africa’ something to fear?” July 3, 2015.
- Cullen S. Hendrix and Marcus Noland, “How ‘rogue’ is China’s aid?” June 10, 2014.