Journal of African Politics

Human Needs and Civilian Violence in United Nations Peace Keeping Operations: A Case of MONUSCO in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Mbaraka Naziad Mkeremy, Jacob Lisakafu — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Citizens’ protests against UN Peacekeepers in Africa are on the increase. This article draws from MONUSCO's experience in DRC to address one crucial question: Why are local populations launching violent demonstrations against UN Peacekeepers in DRC? The study utilises human needs theory to reveal that unfulfilled civilian security needs manifest in violent mass protests against peacekeepers. This article argues that while civilian protection remains UN’s priority, violent demonstrations against MONUSCO in the DRC and emerging protests elsewhere in Africa put UN’s peacekeeping role into question. The study anticipates continued citizens’ protests unless there is a change in UN’s strategies to enhance the capability of peacekeeping operations. The article utilises qualitative data from key informant interviews and evidence from documentary sources. The analysis indicates that the Congolese population is frustrated with MONUSCO’s failure to protect them from a series of attacks by armed rebels. Consequently, citizens have launched violent demonstrations against peacekeepers to voice their concerns for meeting their security needs. This calls UN to review the peacekeeping strategy to ensure the relevance of peacekeeping operations for the long-term and effective protection of civilians.

Refugees Integration and National Security Risks in Tanzania: A Case of Katumba Old Settlement

Adventina Laurent, Laurean Ndumbaro — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Tanzania integrated 162,156 refugees in 2010, but integration risks to national security have not been given sufficient attention. This paper examines the national security risks of integrating refugees. The study adopted a case study design mixing both qualitative and quantitative methods. It drew data from 31 key informants and a sample of 397 integrated refugees and native Tanzanians in Katumba Old Settlement. The study found that integrated refugees engage in criminal activities that pose significant national security risks to both Tanzania and their country of origin. Such activities include illegal possession and proliferation of firearms and military weapons and supporting conflicts in their country of origin. It concludes that such activities are likely to trigger diplomatic tensions and increase the costs of countering armed crime and extreme violence in the country. The study recommends a re-evaluation of the refugee integration strategy. This may include re-evaluating the current approach to refugee integration, improving security models and resettlement plans and implementing cultural integration strategies.

Deconstructing Reality: A Postmodern Analysis of the Concept of Truth

Denis Muhamba, Boniphace Shimba Francis — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This article presents a postmodern analysis of the concept of truth, deconstructing reality by firstly tracing the historical development of the concept in different philosophical epochs and then highlighting the role of language, power, and cultural context in shaping our understanding of truth. The postmodernist rejection of absolute truth and emphasis on the relativity of truth is discussed, along with the influence of language on truth and the role of power in defining what is considered to be true. The article also examines the postmodernist critique of science and its emphasis on situating scientific knowledge within a particular cultural and historical context. Unlike previous scholarly works, the paper argues that, the postmodernist analysis of truth challenges traditional notions of objective reality and underscores the importance of context and perspective in shaping our understanding of truth.

BOOK REVIEW

Rodrick Henry — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Election Management Bodies (EMBs) are critical to the conduct of elections and the consolidation of democracy. Nevertheless, there remains a scanty comprehensive analysis of EMBs in East Africa. Makulilo, Ntaganda, Away, Sekaggya, and Osodo’s book ventures into that journey. Their book analyses the nature and role of EMBs in five East African countries, namely Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, centring election management at the heart of democratisation and democratic consolidation. The book situates EMBs into a broader perspective, assuming "their status as a product of the struggle for democracy, their anchorage in the constitutional traditions of each society, their place in the history of political reform, and their interaction with the other institutions of each country" (p. viii). The book's essence draws from the reality that African elections and governance contestations primarily revolve around the management and administration of elections (p. 1).