Role of the UN: Conflict Crisis in Africa Post-Cold War Period

ROLE OF UN IN DEALING WITH CONFLICT CRISIS IN AFRICA POST-COLD WAR PERIOD
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Role of UN in Dealing with Conflict Crisis in Africa Post-Cold War Period
Introduction
Africa is a continent that has been marred by numerous challenges. First, a majority of African countries were colonized and attained independence mostly in the 1950s and 1960s. However, during the acquisition of independence, a majority of African countries did not have structures of government, the capabilities, and the resources to run and maintain healthy governments successfully. Therefore, in a bid to win control of the available resources, communities started to fight for control, and several African countries endured decades of civil wars as different groups fought for power. The UN's intervention in African countries was not as direct during the Cold War period, but after the Cold War, the UN's activities in the continent greatly improved as conflicts largely shifted from across borders to within borders (Yilmaz, 2005). In Africa, the UN has had successes in helping to broker peace deals between warring factions, most notably in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Cote d'Ivoire. However, in countries such as Congo and Rwanda, the UN struggled to bring about peace as well as to maintain a proper image. Accusations of the UN having ulterior motives rocked the agency, as well as accusations of the UN's personnel being found culpable of some crimes, including rape, were also reported. Further, the UN found it difficult to maintain close relations with the locals, and this greatly hampered their efforts in trying to mitigate the effects of conflicts. It has also been argued that the UN has been impartial while dealing with some individuals and governments whose activities have been found wanting. With reports indicating such a record, the UN has indeed had a much tougher path towards being a credible body that is tasked with maintaining and enhancing peace and security in the world.
UN Approaches to the Conflict Crisis in Africa
During the Cold War, the UN's efforts were focused on the global conflict that was brewing between the US and Russia. Countries had taken sides in the conflict, and in some cases, violence was evident as the US and Russia tried to acquire as much support as they could. At the time, conflict was large across borders, and the UN's commitment to "maintaining international peace and security" was in full swing (UN, 2015). The peacekeeping operations that the UN ran were strictly limited to observing and monitoring (UN, 2022). The UN personnel were not armed, and the expectation was that they would help broker peace deals and resolve conflicts.
When the Cold War ended and conflict across borders shifted to conflicts within borders, the UN changed its approach to fit the changing crisis. Intra-state conflicts and civil wars presented major problems for the UN as the agency had to increase its involvement in the region. For example, it became increasingly crucial for the UN to help African countries solve conflicts, develop sustainable approaches to governance, initiate disarmament and the re-introduction of reformed rebels, and ensure protection against human rights violations. As indicated by Latif (2000), this was new territory for the UN because it meant a dramatic turnaround from the role the UN had been playing before. In intrastate conflicts, the UN had to immerse itself in domestic affairs, and this introduced the crucial yet controversial question of the UN's jurisdiction and state sovereignty. The face of the UN peacekeeping missions changed. Though the military still maintained its position as the main supporting cast, there was an increase in the number of other people whose role was deemed necessary to ensure the success of the changing approach to peacekeeping. Economists, legal experts, electoral observers, human rights monitors, and administrators joined the military personnel in the peacekeeping missions (UN, 2022).
Aside from the above, it is crucial to mention that the number of UN peacekeeping missions or operations has increased, especially in Africa. Further, the number of peacekeepers also increased, and successes in places like Angola and Mozambique, where the UN had been able to oversee peaceful agreements, new governments assuming power, and the promise of stability, led to growth in confidence over the UN's ability to handle major conflicts in the region. Therefore, this ushered in a new era in the post-Cold War era where the UN increased its missions and involvement in the region. As it will be showcased, the UN had major successes in the region as well as failures that have continually led to changes in its approach to conflict in the African continent.
Positive Impact of the UN
The UN is critical in promoting peace among states and non-states in Africa, even where the international community is unable. One of the major problems facing Africa today is the erosion of the state itself. The number of countries where national territory under state control has contracted continues to rise in Africa (Rotberg 2003). The most vivid examples are Somalia and Liberia, where the state has dramatically reduced. Under such circumstances, the composition and policies of the government are challenged. At the same time, the state's legitimacy is contested because of the estrangement of a large portion of the population. The failure of states in Africa is transforming some regions into combat areas among competition groups. Anarchy is fast spreading in Africa as the leaders do not have the ability to disciplined armies capable of silencing the enemy and establishing a centralized power (Alexander 1999, pg. 423). Hence, the risk of some African nations moving back to the nineteenth century, where a mixture of states and organized groups controlled the territory, is high. The temptation to retreat from Africa is high as efforts toward resolving the problem fail. The UN has remained critical in ensuring putting measures to ensure that countries in Africa do not return to anarchy.
Additionally, the UN has been at the forefront in deploying military personnel in its peacekeeping missions in Africa. Currently, the UN has 12 peacekeeping missions worldwide, with about half a dozen of them in Africa. For decades, UN peacekeeping has been one of the most instrumental tools the UN has employed to mitigate conflict and stabilize Africa (Hegre, Hultman, and Nygård, 2019). Ensuring that African countries navigate from conflict to peace has been instrumental in war-torn counties. Through peacekeeping, the UN deploys troops from other parts of the world and integrates them with civilian peacekeepers. Through peacekeeping operations, the UN facilitates the political processes of affected countries (Curran and Woodhouse, 2007). In this case, the organization assists in the formation of legitimate governments which can consolidate power and prevent the collapse of the state. Secondly, peacekeeping efforts are critical in protecting civilians at risk of human rights abuses from some organized groups. Peacekeeping ensures the security of the citizens as the UN works towards finding a long-lasting solution to the issue. Thirdly, through peacekeeping, the UN facilitates the disarmament of rival groups. The process is key in ensuring that the conflicting parties can work towards finding a solution to the issue at hand. Disarmament is important in ensuring that rival groups are disempowered, which immunizes the escalation of the conflict. Lastly, peacekeeping facilitates the establishment of democratic values like organized elections, which accelerates the restoration of the rule of law.
Furthermore, the UN collaborates with the regional organization to resolve and manage conflict in Africa (Knight 2008, pg. 27). The body appreciates that other organizations in Africa are instrumental in dealing with the challenges facing the continent. The UN Charter allows for flexibility in regional arrangements, hence permitting the body to team up with other entities devoted to maintaining peace in the continent. Such associations could be treaty-based regional organizations or organizations meant for regional cooperation. For instance, the UN has collaborated with the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). These organizations are essential in enhancing the work of the UN in Africa. The UN exchanges information with these organizations and the decentralization of operations. The collaboration lightens the burden of the UN and leads to a deeper sense of participation. Because of teamwork, the efficiency of the UN in dealing with conflict has improved, which has led to more positive results.
Negative Impacts/Failures by the UN in the African Conflict Crisis
Despite the successes that the UN has had in the Af...