The Political Economy of Peacekeeping: Assessing the Impact of MONUSCO Procurement on Local Food Inflation in Goma

Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies | Vol. 11, No. 11, November 2020 | pp. 91–99

DOI: 10.46882/2020/GJPCS/111101

Article Type: Original Research Paper

Title: The Political Economy of Peacekeeping: Assessing the Impact of MONUSCO Procurement on Local Food Inflation in Goma

Authors: Jean-Louis Dupont¹, Marcus T. Vance²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Centre de Recherches Internationales, Sciences Po, Paris, France; ²Center for Development and Emergency Practice, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom

Abstract:
While large-scale international peacekeeping missions are deployed to re-establish civilian safety, their large logistics footprints can introduce significant economic distortions into host environments. This article evaluates the political economy of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), examining how local logistics contracting impacted food security in Goma from 2018 to 2020. Utilizing urban price registries combined with supply chain audits, we measure the microeconomic impacts of peacekeeping procurement on local markets. The quantitative analysis reveals that MONUSCO’s localized supply contracting inadvertently concentrated capital within elite merchant cartels linked to state officials. This concentration caused a 34% spike in the prices of basic local food staples, worsening relative deprivation among displaced populations inside nearby camps. Our statistical models show that urban zones with high peacekeeping procurement concentration experienced a 28% higher rate of commercial extortion disputes. We conclude that future peacekeeping mandates must include independent economic impact tracking to prevent procurement spending from reinforcing war economies.

Keywords: Peacekeeping Economy; MONUSCO; Market Distortion; Food Inflation; Logistics Contracting; Economic Inequity

Manuscript Timeline: Received: September 02, 2019; Revised: November 22, 2019; Accepted: February 18, 2020; Published: November 20, 2020

Citation: Dupont, J. L., & Vance, M. T. (2020). The Political Economy of Peacekeeping: Assessing the Impact of MONUSCO Procurement on Local Food Inflation in Goma. Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, 11(11), 91–99. DOI: 10.46882/2020/GJPCS/111101

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