Challenges and Prospects of au-un Hybrid Operations

Abstract

Hybrid operations between regional organisations and the United Nations is a new paradigm in international peacekeeping. The only such operation so far is the African Union-United Nations Operations in Darfur (unamid). Serving two separate authorizing bodies with different though similar mandates and differing work habits and processes have been a challenge, not only to the two authorising bodies but particularly for the leadership of the hybrid operation. After more than five years of operations, this paper attempts to assess the chances of replication of similar operations in the short-term given the unamid experience.