Abstract
In 2007, African Union soldiers deployed to Somalia with the blessing of the United Nations Security Council, ostensibly on a peacekeeping mission. Today, six African countries have a combined total of approximately 21,564 combat troops on the ground as part of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). These soldiers have paid a heavy price. Since AMISOM military forces first arrived in Somalia, perhaps as many as 3,000 have been killed there—a number approaching the 3,096 peacekeepers killed in all United Nations peacekeeping operations between 1948 and 2013. But why have six African countries sent soldiers to one of the world’s most failed states? Select international relations concepts and theories help provide answers. Nearly all point to less-than-selfless reasons. This article concludes that all six African countries have accrued, or are looking to accrue, self-serving benefits through their military participation in AMISOM.
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