Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 02/2014

Peace Operations in Africa: Lessons Learned Since 2000

Paul D. Williams

July 2013

Africa Center for Strategic Studies

Abstract

More than 50 peace operations have deployed in Africa since 2000, including multiple African-led or hybrid African Union/United Nations initiatives. The frequency of these deployments underscores the ongoing importance of these operations in the playbook of regional and multilateral bodies to prevent conflict, protect civilians, and enforce ceasefires and peace agreements. Recent operations have featured increasingly ambitious goals and complex institutional partnerships. The achievements and shortcomings of these operations offer vital lessons for optimizing this increasingly central but still evolving tool for addressing conflict and instability.