UN Robust Peacekeeping: Civilian Protection in Violent Civil Wars

This book examines the emergent conviction that UN robust peacekeeping works better than UN traditional peacekeeping in reducing civilian killings within contemporary post-cold war violent civil wars. In an unprecedented study, Nsia-Pepra has systematically and empirically documented the relationship between robust peacekeeping and civilian killings in violent civil wars using both statistical and case study models. His research, engagingly expounded upon in UN Robust Peacekeeping, indicates that robust peacekeeping works better than traditional peacekeeping in lowering civilian killings by spoilers in violent civil wars. His book also presents the concept of a formidable barrier model of robust peacekeeping success using the game theoretical model. It makes policy recommendations to enhance the UN's capacity to protect civilians from human rights violations, including a unified, coherent doctrinal definition for robust peacekeeping, an operational doctrine on the use of force, and improved UN intelligence capacity. Nsia-Pepra also suggests employing the GA 1950 Uniting for Peace Resolution—as well as robust mandates, common training doctrine, pre-deployment training, improved UN intelligence capacity, major power participation, implementation of R2P and US objective global leadership.

"Although the topic of the changing nature of peacekeeping is not new, how this author examines and tests the effectiveness of differing mandates is a valuable contribution to the field. As peacekeeping mandates continue to evolve, I expect that this work will serve the policy-making community and students of international conflict for some time."
- Marie Olson Lounsbery, East Carolina University, USA

Kofi Nsia-Pepra is Associate Professor of Political Science at Ohio Northern University, USA. He received his Ph.D. in Political Science from Wayne State University, USA and has also been involved, on the ground, in various conflict resolution efforts, including the UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda and the 1998-1999 UN assisted ECOMOG Peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone.

Table of Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Preface

List of Tables

List of Figures

Chapters

1. Introduction

2. Peacekeeping and Human Rights Protection

3. Robust Peacekeeping and Civilian Protection

4. Data and Methodology

5. Statistical Analysis of Robust Peacekeeping and Civilian Protection in Civil Wars

6. Case Studies: Testing the Formidable Barrier Model of Robust Peacekeeping

7. The Politics of Civilian Protection- The Case of Darfur

8. Moving Forward: UN Robust Peacekeeping and Civilian Protection in Civil Wars

Appendices

Bibliography

Index