Taking matters into their own hands

An analysis of the determinants of state-conducted peacekeeping in civil wars

Bibliographic Data

ID3917510
AuthorsNicolas Rost (0000-0002-9277-5692, Department of Politics and Management, University of Konstanz & United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for Somalia (OCHA)), J Michael Greig (0000-0003-2092-5388, Department of Political Science, University of North Texas, [email protected])
Year2011
Volume48
Issue2
Pages171-184
Publication date2011-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Peace Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-3433 • E-ISSN: 1460-3578
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0022343310396110
OpenAlexW2010104663
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited43

Why and when do states take the burden upon themselves to send peacekeepers into a civil war, rather than relying on intergovernmental organizations to do so? While there are a few empirical studies on the conditions under which the UN sends peacekeeping missions, no such analyses of state-conducted peacekeeping exist. In this study, a theoretical framework on state-conducted peacekeeping in civil wars is developed and empirically tested. Not surprisingly, when acting outside international organizations, states are able to take their own interests directly into account and select those civil wars to which they send peacekeepers accordingly. States' interests play a much greater role here than, for example, the interests of the major powers do for UN peacekeeping. When states send peacekeepers they are more likely to choose former colonies, military allies, trade partners, or countries with which they have ethnic ties. Yet, this does not mean that state-conducted peacekeeping occurs only where states see their own interests. Contrary to conventional wisdom, states also provide peacekeeping to 'tough' cases, the most challenging civil wars. These are long, ethnic wars. This tendency for states to provide peacekeeping holds when civil wars produce dire effects on civilians. States are more likely to send peacekeepers into civil wars that kill or displace many people. Finally, states react to opportunities: the more previous mediation attempts, the higher the chances for state-conducted peacekeeping

Ethnic group · Mediation · Peacekeeping · Political economy · Political science · Sociology · Spanish Civil War · State (computer science) · Computer Science · International Development and Aid · Law · Peacebuilding and International Security · Political Conflict and Governance

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub