Abstract
Recently, the UN has been increasingly cooperating with regional organizations in solving African security problems. Among the most reliable partners in this area is the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The purpose of this work is to analyze the dynamics of cooperation between these organizations and to identify the factors that determine the effectiveness of their joint work. This study presents an analysis of the joint peacekeeping experience of ECOWAS and the UN in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea-Bissau. In each case, special attention is paid to the format of interaction between the regional mission and the “Blue helmets” one. In particular, the author aims at identifying the most commonly used scheme of cooperation. The author states that over the past three decades, the UN has moved from small-scale operations implemented in parallel with ECOWAS efforts to full-fledged missions deployed after the ECOWAS forces have paved the way for peacekeeping. This scheme allows full use of the comparative advantages of the two organizations. ECOWAS forces are efficient at the initial stage of the conflict, when prompt intervention is needed to minimize humanitarian losses. “Blue helmets”, in turn, are most useful when the parties to the conflict manage to reach an agreement on a ceasefire. Particular attention in the study is paid to the role of the leader among the contributing countries. It seems that further studies of the driving forces of regional operations will be useful in terms of strategic planning of UN peacekeeping activities.
Published Version
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