Myth of Military Effectiveness and Protection of Civilians in UN Peacekeeping

• In Event: Poster Session: Conflict Processes II

Abstract

What ensures protection of civilians (POC) in conflict zones? United Nations (UN) peacekeeping has become a key tool of intervention in intrastate conflict for POC. The military is primarily mandated for POC and establishment of negative peace to facilitate the civilian counterparts to continue POC duties within the broader framework of peacebuilding. The military expects that the area frequently patrolled by peacekeepers has fewer killings. Thus, patrolling is one of the key instruments employed by military to ensure POC. However, scholars questioned the effectiveness of the peacekeeping missions and the peacekeepers (military) with the continuation of killings in the mission area. This paper seeks to explore why the military might fail to achieve its primary mandate. Based on the case study of Beni territory in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a data collection at the village level from military situation reports for the period of Aug 2014 to July 2016, this paper look into the patrolling behavior of the peacekeeping forces deployed in Beni and compared it to the pattern of killings in the same area from the micro perspective. Findings suggest that peacekeepers resort to risk averse behavior in highly contested area. Findings confirm my initial hypothesis that fewer killings are happening in the area where peacekeepers more frequently patrolled. However, civilians are more vulnerable if adequate safety measures are not taken to ensure POC from retaliatory actions of armed groups before any major military operations.

Author

• Santosh Sapkota