Tim Glawion published in International Peacekeeping on Interventions in the Central African Republic

ACT member Dr. Tim Glawion published an article in International Peacekeeping:

Abstract

The scholarly consensus has moved from asking if to how peacekeeping can be successful. Nevertheless, from Afghanistan to Mali, popular dissatisfaction is bringing international interventions to a dramatic end, while new and more ruthless foreign actors are stepping in. I suggest tying peacebuilding studies back to what really matters: fulfilling the expectations of those affected by violence. To do so, I study and compare four local security arenas in the Central African Republic and find that people raise differing expectations depending on whether they witness a local void or a local spoiler. Respondents appreciate substitution when they see a justified void. When respondents perceive a spoiler situation, they expect confrontation. Submissiveness of interveners to a spoiler is quickly interpreted as collusion and thus met with resistance. Intervention actors must balance filling voids and confronting spoilers simultaneously during changes of domestic actors’ (in)action and in public opinion. These findings further our understanding of why successful interventions on paper are resisted on the ground.

DOI: 10.1080/13533312.2024.2443862