The Impact of UN Peacekeeping Mandates on Local Security: A Comparative Analysis of MINUSMA Defensive Tactics in Central Mali

Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies | Vol. 14, No. 7, July 2023 | pp. 55–63

DOI: 10.46882/2023/GJPCS/140701

Article Type: Original Research Paper

Title: The Impact of UN Peacekeeping Mandates on Local Security: A Comparative Analysis of MINUSMA Defensive Tactics in Central Mali

Authors: Amina J. Diallo¹, Jean-Louis Dupont²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Bamako, Bamako, Mali; ²Centre de Recherches Internationales, Sciences Po, Paris, France

Abstract:
The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) operates within an asymmetric security landscape where peacekeepers are frequently targeted by violent non-state actors. This paper evaluates the operational effectiveness of MINUSMA's civilian protection mandate in central Mali, focusing on the structural limits of static versus mobile force deployments from 2020 to 2022. Drawing on field data and key informant interviews with 42 humanitarian coordinators and local community leaders, we analyze the tactical constraints facing UN forces. The findings reveal that while static UN operating bases protect immediate urban centers, they leave surrounding rural villages exposed to targeted insurgent attacks and communal violence. Statistical analysis indicates that regions dependent on static peacekeeping garrisons report a 48% higher rate of rural civilian displacements following asymmetric skirmishes. The study demonstrates that a risk-averse military culture, combined with severe logistical deficits in helicopter mobility, prevents proactive patrolling beyond major transit routes. We conclude that enhancing civilian safety requires transforming peacekeeping frameworks to prioritize highly mobile, decentralized tactical units capable of rapid deployment to remote areas.

Keywords: MINUSMA; Peacekeeping Operations; Protection of Civilians; Mali Insurgency; Asymmetric Warfare; Livelihood Displacement

Manuscript Timeline: Received: August 02, 2021; Revised: October 20, 2021; Accepted: January 12, 2022; Published: July 18, 2023

Citation: Diallo, A. J., & Dupont, J. L. (2023). The Impact of UN Peacekeeping Mandates on Local Security: A Comparative Analysis of MINUSMA Defensive Tactics in Central Mali. Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, 14(7), 55–63. DOI: 10.46882/2023/GJPCS/140701

Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies | Vol. 14, No. 8, August 2023 | pp. 64–72

DOI: 10.46882/2023/GJPCS/140801

Article Type: Original Research Paper

Title: The Geopolitics of Transnational Commercial Cyber-Surveillance Networks: Assessing Structural Exploitations of Civic Communication Systems

Authors: Alexei V. Volkov¹, Nadia M. Al-Shari²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Information Security, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia; ²School of Computing and Informatics, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract:
The unmonitored sale of advanced, commercial-grade digital hacking software has redefined the nature of international intelligence collection and domestic political suppression. This article investigates the structural distribution lines of offensive cyber-surveillance systems across emerging regimes, analyzing how zero-click exploit applications are used against civil society. Utilizing digital forensic tracking data collected from compromised devices alongside international legal frameworks, we map out intrusion patterns recorded between 2021 and 2023. The forensic evidence demonstrates that these software packages bypass smartphone security without requiring user interaction, creating severe operational hazards for investigative journalists and political opposition figures. Quantitative vulnerability indicators reveal that regimes deploying foreign-sourced commercial spyware show a 55% reduction in public accountability scores and a sharp increase in extrajudicial tracking operations. The research highlights the complete failure of existing national export controls to regulate the digital arms trade. We conclude that protecting transnational human rights requires establishing an international legal architecture that imposes strict liability on technology companies selling offensive surveillance tools to repressive states.

Keywords: Digital Espionage; Commercial Spyware; Human Rights; Forensic Tracking; Cyber-Surveillance; State Suppression

Manuscript Timeline: Received: August 14, 2021; Revised: November 02, 2021; Accepted: January 28, 2020; Published: August 15, 2023

Citation: Volkov, A. V., & Al-Shari, N. M. (2023). The Geopolitics of Transnational Commercial Cyber-Surveillance Networks: Assessing Structural Exploitations of Civic Communication Systems. Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, 14(8), 64–72. DOI: 10.46882/2023/GJPCS/140801

Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies | Vol. 14, No. 9, September 2023 | pp. 73–81

DOI: 10.46882/2023/GJPCS/140901

Article Type: Original Research Paper

Title: The Political Economy of Transitional Justice: Evaluating Corporate Accountability for Resource Extraction Crimes during the Liberian Civil War

Authors: Maria Camila Gomez¹, Ziad H. Al-Rifai²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Political Science, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia; ²Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Media Studies, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon

Abstract:
Transitional justice initiatives heavily prioritize cataloging civil and political rights abuses, while routinely overlooking corporate complicity in systemic state repression and economic crimes. This paper evaluates the structural limitations of post-conflict reconstruction models concerning the prosecution of private commercial extraction entities that actively supported institutionalized violence during the Liberian conflict. Utilizing comprehensive legal archival datasets, corporate timber registries, and human rights databases from 2003 to 2022, we measure the long-term socioeconomic impacts of omitting economic restitution from early peace agreements. The quantitative analysis reveals that commercial networks that profited from resource extraction avoided financial and legal restitution, leaving structural economic inequities completely unaddressed. Our statistical models demonstrate that regions with high historical corporate timber capture report a 40% increase in localized social protests and labor disputes over resource distribution. The study concludes that traditional transitional justice frameworks fail to foster deep national reconciliation when they ignore economic violations. We argue that modern democratic stability requires integrating binding corporate accountability frameworks directly into transitional justice mechanisms.

Keywords: Political Economy; Transitional Justice; Corporate Complicity; Resource Extraction; Structural Inequality; Economic Violations

Manuscript Timeline: Received: August 20, 2021; Revised: November 15, 2021; Accepted: February 05, 2022; Published: September 12, 2023

Citation: Gomez, M. C., & Al-Rifai, Z. H. (2023). The Political Economy of Transitional Justice: Evaluating Corporate Accountability for Resource Extraction Crimes during the Liberian Civil War. Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, 14(9), 73–81. DOI: 10.46882/2023/GJPCS/140901

Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies | Vol. 14, No. 10, October 2023 | pp. 82–90

DOI: 10.46882/2023/GJPCS/141001

Article Type: Original Research Paper

Title: Sovereignty, Border Securitization, and Transboundary Security Dynamics: Assessing Cross-Border Insurgent Corridors along the Baluchistan Frontier

Authors: Tariq H. Al-Sabahi¹, Viktor I. Morozov²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Political Science, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan; ²Department of International Security Studies, Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Moscow, Russian Federation

Abstract:
The rapid escalation of cross-border insurgent incursions and subsequent regional military campaigns has redefined southwest Asian border security frameworks and heightened geopolitical friction between adjacent states. This study presents a systematic analysis of the structural drivers behind insurgent movements and evaluates the security outcomes of unilateral state border fencing and drone surveillance projects. Utilizing a mixed-methods research framework that combines localized geographical field surveillance data from 2020 to 2022 with key informant security interviews, we dissect border operational vulnerabilities. The field data demonstrates that radical militant networks exploit porous mountainous terrain, deep-seated tribal linkages, and high rural unemployment to establish resilient cross-border logistical hideouts. Quantitative metrics establish that frontier regions operating without integrated, bilateral border coordination matrices experience a 65% higher rate of insurgent encounters and illegal arms smuggling campaigns. The paper demonstrates that heavy-handed tactical military sweeps fail to suppress cross-border networks when they ignore border-community economic integration. We conclude that sustainable frontier stabilization requires transitioning from unilateral fortification toward establishing synchronized, bilateral customs checkpoints and comprehensive tribal economic development programs.

Keywords: Cross-Border Militancy; Frontier Security; Baluchistan Frontier; Insurgency; Border Securitization; Regional Geopolitics

Manuscript Timeline: Received: September 02, 2021; Revised: November 22, 2021; Accepted: February 18, 2022; Published: October 14, 2023

Citation: Al-Sabahi, T. H., & Morozov, V. I. (2023). Sovereignty, Border Securitization, and Transboundary Security Dynamics: Assessing Cross-Border Insurgent Corridors along the Baluchistan Frontier. Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, 14(10), 82–90. DOI: 10.46882/2023/GJPCS/141001

Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies | Vol. 14, No. 11, November 2023 | pp. 91–99

DOI: 10.46882/2023/GJPCS/141101

Article Type: Original Research Paper

Title: Evaluating Demobilization, Disarmament, and Reintegration Frameworks: The Role of Community-Led Agro-Cooperatives in Reintegrating Former Combatants in Bougainville

Authors: Kumari M. Perera¹, Siddharth K. Nair²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹International Centre for Ethnic Studies, Colombo, Sri Lanka; ²School of Global Studies, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden

Abstract:
Formal Demobilization, Disarmament, and Reintegration (DDR) strategies frequently encounter intense friction within civil communities following long-term, identity-based armed conflicts. This paper evaluates the operational efficacy of traditional, community-led psychosocial support mechanisms compared to state-administered vocational programs in supporting former combatants in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. Utilizing a longitudinal tracking methodology, we monitored 310 former insurgent fighters across a three-year post-conflict window ending in late 2022. The quantitative metrics reveal that ex-combatants integrated into rural agricultural cooperatives featuring strong grassroots community support systems recorded a 44% lower score on clinical psychological trauma indexes than those placed in individual urban environments. Furthermore, qualitative focus group assessments show that local cooperative models are more successful at rebuilding inter-communal trust and reducing retaliatory violence because they prioritize shared economic survival over individual legal compensation. The study demonstrates that centralized state DDR kits isolate returning combatants by neglecting community-wide healing dynamics. We argue that ensuring long-term democratic stability requires formally embedding localized cooperative structures into national peace implementation frameworks.

Keywords: DDR; Bougainville Peace Process; Ex-Combatants; Psychosocial Reintegration; Community Cooperatives; Trust Building

Manuscript Timeline: Received: September 15, 2021; Revised: December 02, 2021; Accepted: February 20, 2022; Published: November 18, 2023

Citation: Perera, K. M., & Nair, S. K. (2023). Evaluating Demobilization, Disarmament, and Reintegration Frameworks: The Role of Community-Led Agro-Cooperatives in Reintegrating Former Combatants in Bougainville. Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, 14(11), 91–99. DOI: 10.46882/2023/GJPCS/141101

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