What is Next for UN Peacekeeping in Africa?

The landscape of United Nations Peacekeeping in Africa is undergoing significant changes, and it might be moving towards a future where regional peace support operations like the African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) will become a central player in maintaining stability across the continent. These changes go hand-in-hand with evolving geopolitical dynamics that will in the short term create challenges, but in the long term, opportunities to enhance and strengthen the legitimacy of peacekeeping efforts.

The recent closure of the long-standing Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSMA) in Mali, and the ongoing drawdown of the UN Stabilization Mission (MONUSCO) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) marks a turning point in the future trajectory of UN peace operations in Africa.

These factors highlight the complexities of an increasingly polarized world and exert urgency on the UN to reassess how it operates in fragile and highly political contexts. The closures of these large UN operations come in line with previous positive cooperation with African-led initiatives, a trend that has been gaining momentum over the past decade.

As the UN missions draw down, African-led Peace Support Operations (PSOs) under the AU and RECs are simultaneously preparing to assume more and more responsibilities to attempt to ensure long overdue peace and security. These PSOs, such as the AU-led missions in Somalia and coalitions like the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad region, represent a diverse range of responses to complex security challenges across the continent.

One significant advantage of African PSOs lies in their ability to deploy in a wider variety of contexts beyond traditional peace and security operations. PSOs have already been actively involved in addressing humanitarian crises, supporting electoral processes, and tackling transnational threats like terrorism and organized crime. This is all accumulated capital, also showcasing the ability for a multifaceted approach to regional stability.

There will be challenges with this transition. The United Nations is an 80-year-old organization. It took decades for the UN to build its reputation, systems, and human capital to manage complex issues in every corner of the world.

While African PSOs have demonstrated operational capabilities, they often lack the multidimensional approach of UN missions that integrate civilian staff for critical tasks such as peacebuilding, humanitarian, human rights law, and conflict resolution.

Moreover, financial sustainability remains a key concern as African-led PSOs heavily rely on external funding, primarily from the United Nations and foreign donors. While recent UN Security Council resolutions aim to strengthen partnerships and funding mechanisms, addressing this dependency and enhancing regional ownership is crucial for the long-term success of peacekeeping initiatives in Africa.

Looking ahead, the future of UN peacekeeping in Africa depends on strategic reforms and partnerships that enhance the capabilities and legitimacy of regional peace support operations. Collaborative efforts between the UN, AU, RECs, and member states are essential to define clear mandates, improve coordination, and foster a shared vision for peace and stability across the continent.

Investing in capacity building, training, and technology transfer to regional actors will bolster their ability to address emerging security threats effectively. Strengthening regional conflict resolution mechanisms, mediation capacities, and inclusive dialogue platforms within African institutions will also contribute to sustainable peacebuilding efforts.

A comprehensive approach is needed to address operational challenges, enhance financial sustainability, and strengthen diplomatic and mediation capacities. By harnessing regional strengths and partnerships, the UN and African stakeholders can pave the way for a more secure and peaceful Africa in the years to come. One of the crucial prerequisites that remains is a need for strategic rethinking of the existing and future UN peace operations.

Based in Entebbe, Uganda, the Regional Service Centre Entebbe (RSCE) is the flagship Service Centre for the UN Secretariat, providing administrative, logistics and ICT services to 62% of all UN field operations worldwide. Employing close to 400 staff and managing almost 400,000 transactions annually, the RSCE supports over 16,400 personnel in 18 UN missions and offices across Africa. The RSCE also hosts the Regional Training and Conference Centre and the UN C4ISR Academy for Peace Operations that host over 250 events a year with over 3,500 participants.