The host-government's power of access on local UN peacekeeping operations

Thesis

A peace process is not a dinner party: all parties aim for the largest piece of the cake. The host holds a powerful position for this purpose. UN Peacekeeping Missions are deployed into complex conflicts to protect civilians and restore peace. They must be invited by the host- government, which also retains the sovereign right to terminate the mission. As the provider of consent, the host-government enjoys significant power - more than non-state actors. Balancing host-government consent with impartiality poses one of peacekeeping’s core dilemmas, particularly in ensuring impartial access to civilians in need of protection. How do host- government interests shape the local access of UN peacekeepers? This study theorises and tests how host-governments exercise power over access to advance strategic objectives, enabling peacekeeper deployment in rebel-held areas, while restricting access to locations where government forces engage in violence against civilians or rebel groups. First, I conduct a subnational statistical analysis of twelve missions in nine African countries (2000–2012), demonstrating that political–ethnic affiliation shapes peacekeeping presence. Regardless of civilian targeting, peacekeepers are more likely to deploy, stay longer, and arrive in greater numbers in areas aligned with rebel groups than those aligned with the host-government. Second, I introduce a novel subnational, geo-referenced dataset mapping reported movement restrictions in 15 missions across 12 countries (2000–2023), empirically demonstrating the widespread occurrence of access restrictions. Third, I find that access restrictions significantly increase in areas experiencing host-government violence, but are not associated with rebel- perpetrated violence. This research highlights the often-overlooked power of host-governments to shape peacekeeping access in a conflict. Access becomes an instrument of control, allowing host-governments to bypass the commitment problem that peacekeeping is designed to address. Far from passive recipients, host-governments can actively shape the mission’s access, undermining impartiality and the equal protection of civilians on the ground.

Authors: Rahn, TH

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-yjkzn8z1p
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: host-government; access restrictions; access; UN peacekeeping operations; protection of civilians
• Subjects: Peacekeeping forces; Peace; United Nations--Peacekeeping forces; War; Access denial (Military science); Civilians in war; International relations literature; Civilian war casualties; Access control