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Resilience and Conflict Resolution: UN Peacekeeping in Mali

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Projecting Resilience Across the Mediterranean

Abstract

This chapter critically examines how the UN builds resilience in the Sahel region. After providing an overview of the UN approach to the region, the analysis focuses on the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA), showing that the mission focuses primarily on providing security rather than enhancing state institutions and societies’ ability to withstand shocks. MINUSMA is a crucial case for understanding why even complex, ambitious, all-encompassing, and multidimensional peacekeeping missions might ultimately be unable to build resilience. The chapter concludes by identifying some preconditions to achieve this goal, and most notably need to bring the local population to the centre and develop UN mandates to build peace from below.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    PowerPoint presentation by representative of UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Carlisle Barracks, United States, 28 January 2015.

  2. 2.

    Interviews with military representatives of the intelligence staff at the UNheadquarters (U2) and ASIFU headquarters by one of the authors.

  3. 3.

    Interview with the chief of the all source intelligence cell of the ISR Company by one of the authors.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Swedish Defence University, Stockholm, Sweden

    Chiara Ruffa

  2. Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

    Chiara Ruffa

  3. Netherlands Defence Academy, Breda, The Netherlands

    Sebastiaan Rietjens

  4. Department of Peace and Conflict, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

    Emma Nygren

Authors
  1. Chiara Ruffa
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  2. Sebastiaan Rietjens
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  3. Emma Nygren
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Leiden, The Netherlands

    Eugenio Cusumano

  2. The Hague, The Netherlands

    Stefan Hofmaier

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Ruffa, C., Rietjens, S., Nygren, E. (2020). Resilience and Conflict Resolution: UN Peacekeeping in Mali. In: Cusumano, E., Hofmaier, S. (eds) Projecting Resilience Across the Mediterranean. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23641-0_10

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