Explaining the Effectiveness of Inter-Organizational Peace Operations: AU-EU Cooperation in the Central African Republic

ABSTRACT

Despite the relevance of inter-organizationally managed peace operations, research on their effectiveness is still limited. This study analyses the effectiveness of one inter-organizational peace operation, the AU-EU cooperation in response to the 2013 crisis in the Central African Republic. Conceptualizing effectiveness through an actor- and target-related perspective, it hypothesizes resource exchange, inter-organizational convergence, and a supportive conflict setting as processes conducive to effective action. The findings suggest that the cooperation was effective since the partners exchanged resources, had a high convergence, and acted within a supportive conflict setting.

KEYWORDS:

• Peace and security
• international organizations
• performance
• African Union
• European Union

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the reviewers and editors for very helpful and constructive comments on earlier versions of the article. Moreover, I am indebted to all interview partners for sharing their views and insights.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 In accordance with Bellamy and Williams (2005, 13) I define a peace operation as ‘[…] the expeditionary use of uniformed personnel […], with or without a UN mandate, but with an explicit mandate to assist in the prevention of armed conflict’.

2 I assume three levels of target-related effectiveness: High: The partners have managed to limit the continuation, diffusion, escalation, or intensification of violence in the area of deployment to a high degree. Violence against civilians, its spatial extent, and casualties of the deployed forces have been limited mostly. Medium: The partners have managed to limit the continuation, diffusion, escalation, or intensification of violence in the area of deployment to a medium degree. Violence against civilians, its spatial extent, and casualties of the deployed forces have been limited. Low: The partners have managed to limit the continuation, diffusion, escalation, or intensification of violence in the area of deployment to a low degree. Violence against civilians, its spatial extent, and casualties of the deployed forces have been limited to a low extent.

3 I propose three degrees of resource dependency: High: The organization expresses resource dependency for most of its potential capabilities to act; medium: The organization expresses resource dependency for a part of its potential capabilities to act; low: The organization expresses resource dependency for a few of its potential capabilities to act.

4 I propose three degrees of resource exchange: High: The organization provides resources for most of the dependencies expressed by the partner; medium: The organization provides resources for a part of the dependencies expressed by the partner; low: The organization provides resources for a few dependencies expressed by the partner.

5 I conceptualize intensive interaction along three degrees: High: The partners interacted intensively on all problems; medium: the partners interacted intensively on some problems; low: the partners interacted intensively on few problems.

6 I propose three degrees of convergence: High: The partners adapt most of their decision-making processes to a crisis; medium: the partners adapt a part of their decision-making processes to a crisis; low: the partners adapt few of their decision-making processes to a crisis.

7 I propose three degrees of domestic support: High: There is consent to the MPO by a majority of actors, whereas a minority of actors opposes the MPO to some extent; medium: There is consent to the MPO only by some actors, whereas a minority of actors opposes the MPO to a high extent; low: There is consent to the MPO only by some actors, whereas a majority of actors opposes the MPO to some extent.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Friedrich Plank

Friedrich Plank is a post-doctoral researcher at the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany. His research focuses on inter-organizational relations, comparative regionalism, EU foreign policy, and peace and conflict studies.