Hybrid Peacekeeping and the United Nations: The Case of UNAMID

ABSTRACT

The statutory framework which allows for the United Nations (UN) to conduct peace operations with regional organisations is examined along with the significance and meaning of a hybrid arrangement or agreement. This is followed by an analysis on the effectiveness of such an arrangement through the workings of the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) which is accepted to be the first peacekeeping mission with a unique hybrid character. It is highlighted that the hybrid aspect of UNAMID did not contravene the statutory requirements of the UN but it did aim, albeit unsuccessfully, to stifle the international associated character of the operation. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the operation was hampered by shortcomings in its mandate as a result of its hybrid character. It is nevertheless concluded that the hybrid model was a viable approach under certain conditions, and as such, UNAMID might well have been the pioneering mission which could have changed the UN approach to peacekeeping.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Barend Prinsloo http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7884-150X

Dewald Van Niekerk http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4571-4205

Notes

1 These staff members were referred throughout as ‘Respondents’ to protect their identities.

2 This entails ‘Against the personality of a state or its political, economic and cultural elements’, as specified in UN Security Council Resolution 2625 (XXV) adopted on 24 October 1970.

3 The majority of respondents confirmed this perception.

4 Compare Table 1.

5 This conclusion matches with that of respondents D, J and K.

6 Such as peace-support operations, which include preventive deployments, peacekeeping and peace-enforcement operations, diplomatic activities such as preventive diplomacy, peace-making and peace-building, as well as humanitarian assistance, fact-finding and electoral assistance.

7 Under Chapter VI or Chapter VII of the UN Charter.

8 See Lanz (2008, 216).