MINUSMA and the Militarization of UN Peacekeeping

Vanessa Gauthier Vela

doi:10.1080/13533312.2021.1951610

Abstract

ABSTRACT MINUSMA, the UN peace operation in Mali, represents a new development in peace missions, due to the insecure transnational context in which it has evolved and its mandate to collaborate with counterterrorist forces in the region. The goal of this paper is to study this new development, using Enloe’s feminist theorization of the concept of militarization. I base my analysis on an understanding of militarization as a social process that can be adapted or contested. Grounded in a qualitative methodology, I study MINUSMA and its peacekeepers in order to identify how the process of militarization takes place within/through the mission. My principal argument is that the context of robust peacekeeping, combined with the implications of collaboration with counterterrorist operations and the reengagement of NATO troop contributing countries, creates a space in which militarization is reinforced for the mission and its peacekeepers and that this impacts how they interact with one another and what practices they favour.

Highlights

IntroductionThis paper aims to examine tensions and resistance around processes of militarization involving the United Nations peacekeeping operation in Mali, the Mission multidimensionnelle intégrée des Nations unies pour la stabilisation au Mali (MINUSMA)
My principal argument is that the context of robust peacekeeping, combined with the implications of collaboration with counterterrorist operations and the reengagement of NATO troop contributing countries, creates a space in which militarization is reinforced for the mission and its peacekeepers and that this impacts how they interact with one another and what practices they favour
This paper aims to examine tensions and resistance around processes of militarization involving the United Nations peacekeeping operation in Mali, the Mission multidimensionnelle intégrée des Nations unies pour la stabilisation au Mali (MINUSMA)

Summary

Introduction

This paper aims to examine tensions and resistance around processes of militarization involving the United Nations peacekeeping operation in Mali, the Mission multidimensionnelle intégrée des Nations unies pour la stabilisation au Mali (MINUSMA). MINUSMA is a model example of a contemporary multidimensional UN peace operation that has as its goal ending violence, and accomplishing political tasks and helping to establish a state structure. MINUSMA has evolved in the context of the global war on terror and operates in a highly unstable environment which pushes UN peacekeeping toward stabilization and peace enforcement.[1] The high level of insecurity has had a direct impact on how peacekeepers perceive and interact with both the local population and one another.

Objectives

Conclusion