Burden-sharing and hybrid peacekeeping operations in Somalia and Sudan: a critical analysis
Abstract
English: This study explores whether hybrid peacekeeping operations, or recent forms of UN-
AU co-operation, offer new prospects or opportunities to the challenges relating to
international peacekeeping in Africa. It further analyses whether the international
community is moving towards more effective and legitimate peacekeeping operations
when it follows an approach of hybrid peacekeeping operations in Africa. Through
historical-critical examinations of case studies of peacekeeping operations in Liberia,
Burundi, Darfur, and Somalia, the study interrogates the evolution and practicality of
key concepts such as R2P, mandates and legal underpinning, and the UN and AU
architectures for peacekeeping operations.
The study found that peacekeeping has shifted to include the three components
(civilian, police, and military), making peacekeeping operations multidimensional in
scope and approach. The cooperative security partnership between the UN and AU
and sub-regional organisations, such as ECOWAS in Liberia and AU in Burundi, have
demonstrated the significance of a cooperative venture towards lasting peace. The
relationship between these two organisations - the UN and AU - is of paramount
importance, and must be based on coherent and strategically structured relations
which are systematically integrated.
The implementation of hybrid peacekeeping operations offers new prospects or
opportunities if the UN and AU use the advantages these possess to bring about
peace, despite the challenges being faced. The study has shown how limited
traditional interventions led to the innovative hybridisation but also made the case for
the need to refine the response. The ultimate conclusion is that the resource and
political constraints faced by the AU would benefit from the solid shared international
responsibility provided by the comparative advantage of hybridisation.
The study concluded that the UN and AU relationship and cooperation over the past
two decades presents significant steps toward operations that would contribute to
lasting peace in Africa. The lessons provided by the Liberia, Burundi, Darfur, and
Somalia cases offer an instructive foundation for both the UN and AU to improve on
an evolving approach. Lessons can be learned from the conflicts analysed in the study, and the international community has the advantage of working towards better
and more refined hybrid peacekeeping operations than those conducted in Darfur and
Somalia. Afrikaans: Dié studie doen ʼn ondersoek na die vraag of hibriede vredesbewaring of hedendaagse
vorme van VN-AU samewerking nuwe vooruitsigte of geleenthede bied aangaande
die uitdagings wat met internasionale vredesbewaring in Afrika verband hou. Die
studie analiseer ook die vraag of die internasionale gemeenskap tans na meer
doeltreffende en legitieme vredesbewaring beweeg deur middel van hibriede
vredesbewaring in Afrika. Aan die hand van ʼn histories-kritiese ondersoek met
betrekking tot gevalle-studies van vredesbewaring in Liberië, Burundi, Darfoer en
Somalië, ondersoek die studie die ontwikkeling en praktiese beslag van konsepte soos
R2P, mandate en regsgeldigheid, asook die VN en AU institusionele raamwerke vir
vredesbewaring.
Die studie het bevind dat vredesbewaring geskuif het om drie komponente in te sluit,
naamlik burgerlik, polisie en militêr, waardeur vredesbewaring multidimensioneel in
fokus en benadering geword het. Die samewerkende veiligheidsvennootskappe
tussen die VN, AU en streeksorganisasies, waaronder ECOWAS in Liberië en die AU
in Burundi, demonstreer voorts die betekenisvolheid van samewerkende
ondernemings om volhoubare vrede moontlik te maak. Die verhoudinge tussen
eersgenoemde organisasies, die VN en die AU, is van die grootste belang en moet
berus op samebindende en strategiese verhoudinge wat sistematies tot integrasie
gebring is.
Die implementering van hibriede vredesbewaringsoperasies lewer daarom nuwe
vooruitsigte en geleenthede waar die VN en die AU die voordele wat sulke operasies
bied, kan aanwend met betrekking tot die uitdagings wat die hoof gebied moet word.
Die studie toon hoe beperkte tradisionele intervensies gelei het tot innoverende
hibridisering en wys ook op die behoefte vir verdere verfyning. Die gevolgtrekking is
dat die tekort aan hulpbronne en politieke tekortkominge van die AU kan baat by ʼn
behoorlike en gedeelde internasionale verantwoordelikheid vir vredesbewaring en dit
wat voordelig is aangaande hibridisering.
Die studie se slotsom is dat die VN en die AU se verhouding en samewerking oor die
afgelope twee dekades betekenisvolle stappe verteenwoordig sover dit wedersydse bydraes betref om volhoubare vrede in Afrika moontlik te maak. Die lesse wat geleer
is in Liberië, Burundi, Darfoer en Somalië bied ook ʼn fondasie aan die VN en die AU
om hulle benadering te verbeter. Lesse kan geleer word uit die konflikte wat in die
studie geanaliseer is en die internasionale gemeenskap het nou die voordeel om te
werk vir beter en meer verfynde hibriede vredesbewaringsoperasies na afloop van dit
wat in Darfoer en Somalië afgespeel het.