International Peacekeeping in Africa: Conference Roundup

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Burundi peacekeepers preparing for the next rotation to Somalia. Photo: US Army Africa/flickr

On 23-24 November, colleagues from our parent organization, the Center for Security Studies (CSS), hosted a two-day conference entitled International Peacekeeping in Africa: Actors and Missions.  The event brought together an assortment of academics and practitioners to discuss a broader range of issues than the conference’s title suggests. And since the majority of the sessions were by-invitation only, today we would like to present a series of brief podcasts that summarize some of the research topics raised and discussed at the conference.

Nikolas G. Emmanuel on Recent Trends in Managing Conflict in Africa

Nikolas G. Emmanuel is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Oklahoma State University. His research interests include the use of soft intervention to facilitate changes in the behavior of various state and non-state actors in Africa and beyond.

Denis M Tull on the Issue of Consent for African Peacekeeping Missions

Dennis M Tull is Head of the Research Division for one of our partners, the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP). His current research focuses on crisis management, peacekeeping, power sharing arrangements and Africa’s international relations.

Louise Riis Andersen on the Influence of Theories of Liberal Peace on Peacekeeping Missions

Louise Riis Andersen works for the Defence and Security research unit at the Danish Institute for International Studies. Her research interests include international policies towards fragile states and United Nations peace operations.

Ian Taylor on China’s Approach to Peacekeeping Missions

Ian Taylor is a Professor in International Relations and African Politics at the School of International Relations, University of St Andrews. He is also Chair Professor in the School of International Studies, Renmin University of China and holds various positions at universities across Africa. His research interests include Africa’s political economy and its international relations, Afro-Asian ties, emerging South-South relations, and the notion of “rising powers” (e.g. the BRICS) and the implications for global development they might have (and for Africa specifically).

Chin-Hao Huang on the Future Shape of China’s Peacekeeping Efforts in Africa

Chin-Hao Huang is a Ph.D. candidate in political science and international relations at the University of Southern California (USC). He has previously worked for our partners at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). His varied research interests include China-Africa security relations.

Zachariah Mampilly on Indian Peacekeeping in Africa

Zachariah Mampilly is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science, Vassar College. His research focuses upon the nature of contemporary conflict processes, with an emphasis on Africa and South Asia. To support his research he has undertaken fieldwork in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Kai Michael Kenkel on Brazil’s Peace-building efforts in Africa

Kai Michael Kenkel is a Professor at the Institute of International Relations (IRI), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. His research interests include Brazil’s contribution to peacekeeping missions and its particular approach towards the Responsibility to Protect (R2P).

We might close here by noting that the ISN’s own contribution to the above conference came with the latest in our series of ISN-CSS Panel Discussions. This open event, entitled International Peacekeeping in Africa – A Troubled or Evolving Landscape?, looked at some of the above themes (and more) from both an academic and practitioner’s standpoint. In next week’s Security Watch, we will present video highlights from this particular panel, which included the eminent UN representative, Mr. Alan Doss, and Drs. Jide Martyns Okeke and Paul D. Williams.

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