ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to critically evaluate the challenges faced United Nations peace keeping in Africa using Somalia as a case study. The study examines the history, theory and concept of conflict, conflict resolution and peacekeeping, and then made use of the Somalia crisis to generalize the demanding task of United Nations Peace-Keeping Operation in Africa. The main focus was to identify the likely impediment and critical areas to this phenomenon as well as proffer strategies to making humanitarian interventions and/or PKOs more effective, especially in Africa. The study further established that the paucity of some deliberate or careful steps that need to be taken to consolidate and sustain peace generally may be the greatest challenges to Peace-Keeping Operation in Africa. These include the need for robust and timely operational mandate, and where or when desirable, effective enforcement of arms embargo. Others include rapid deployment capability, commitment and cooperation of the belligerents and understanding the sensitivity of would-be recipients, amongst other essential details. The study concluded with some recommendations that the United Nations Security Council should re-appraise its recently authorized intervention in Somalia and the United Nations in conjunction with Troop Contributing Countries (TCC) should ensure proper training of all peacekeepers in mission specific Peace-Keeping Operations before their deployment to such mission areas.