Role of the UN: Conflict Crisis in Africa Post-Cold War Period

ROLE OF UN IN DEALING WITH CONFLICT CRISIS IN AFRICA POST-COLD WAR PERIOD
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Role of UN in Dealing with Conflict Crisis in Africa Post-Cold War Period
Introduction
Africa is a continent that has been marred by numerous challenges. First, a majority of African countries were colonized and attained independence mostly in the 1950s and 1960s. However, during the acquisition of independence, a majority of African countries did not have structures of government, the capabilities, and the resources to run and maintain healthy governments successfully. Therefore, in a bid to win control of the available resources, communities started to fight for control, and several African countries endured decades of civil wars as different groups fought for power. The UN's intervention in African countries was not as direct during the Cold War period, but after the Cold War, the UN's activities in the continent greatly improved as conflicts largely shifted from across borders to within borders (Yilmaz, 2005). In Africa, the UN has had successes in helping to broker peace deals between warring factions, most notably in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Cote d'Ivoire. However, in countries such as Congo and Rwanda, the UN struggled to bring about peace as well as to maintain a proper image. Accusations of the UN having ulterior motives rocked the agency, as well as accusations of the UN's personnel being found culpable of some crimes, including rape, were also reported. Further, the UN found it difficult to maintain close relations with the locals, and this greatly hampered their efforts in trying to mitigate the effects of conflicts. It has also been argued that the UN has been impartial while dealing with some individuals and governments whose activities have been found wanting. With reports indicating such a record, the UN has indeed had a much tougher path towards being a credible body that is tasked with maintaining and enhancing peace and security in the world.
UN Approaches to the Conflict Crisis in Africa
During the Cold War, the UN's efforts were focused on the global conflict that was brewing between the US and Russia. Countries had taken sides in the conflict, and in some cases, violence was evident as the US and Russia tried to acquire as much support as they could. At the time, conflict was large across borders, and the UN's commitment to "maintaining international peace and security" was in full swing (UN, 2015). The peacekeeping operations that the UN ran were strictly limited to observing and monitoring (UN, 2022). The UN personnel were not armed, and the expectation was that they would help broker peace deals and resolve conflicts.
When the Cold War ended and conflict across borders shifted to conflicts within borders, the UN changed its approach to fit the changing crisis. Intra-state conflicts and civil wars presented major problems for the UN as the agency had to increase its involvement in the region. For example, it became increasingly crucial for the UN to help African countries solve conflicts, develop sustainable approaches to governance, initiate disarmament and the re-introduction of reformed rebels, and ensure protection against human rights violations. As in...