| dc.description.abstract | This study set out to establish how successful multifunctional peacekeeping operations
have been by assessing the accomplishment of the UN mandate for specific operations
and the adequacy of such operations in conflict resolution with emphasis on internal
conflicts by determining the recurrence or continuation of the conflict or its resolution.
The study is guided by the following key objectives:
One; to examine the multifunctional approach to peacekeeping operations as the best
solution to resolve conflicts, particularly in internal conflicts and two; to find out why the
multifunctional peacekeeping operations in Namibia succeeded, but failed in helping
resolve the conflicts in Somalia.
It was established that while it can be insisted that there are certain underlying elements
and principles common to all such missions, it must be noted that each conflict evolves
within a certain specific historical context. Consequently, while emphasizing the
commonalities in the approach of different multifunctional missions to different conflict
situations it must be borne in mind the uniqueness of each particular conflict and tailor
the mission to accommodate such uniqueness; not the conflict to be transformed to fit the
parameters envisioned by the mission, as was the case in Somalia. That is the only way
that the new approach will be able to build sustainable peace.
It was therefore recommended that future U.N. forays into Chapter VII peace
enforcement must take account of the potential incompatibility of mediating and peace
enforcement responsibilities. It does seem from the Somalia experience that the mandate
of peace enforcement under Chapter VII of the UN Charter is mutually exclusive from a
simultaneous mediation role. This is because one of the parties to the conflict, which has
been a target of enforcement action, perceives the UN as partial. Secondly, there is also
need for the UN to devise a strategy for implementing the resolutions of the Security
Council in a timely and ordered manner that avoids a situation whereby contingents from
several countries arrive at different times. As the Namibian and Somalia case illustrate
late deployment of personnel can lead to disaster | en_US |
