Africa plays a major role in international peacekeeping operations, as the continent is home to some of the world’s most complex and long-standing conflicts. In recent years, African countries have provided the bulk of the personnel for peacekeeping missions around the world. African nations have provided more than 70 percent of the total number of peacekeepers deployed in conflict zones around the world.
African countries have a long history of participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations. Since 1960, African countries have provided more than 200,000 troops and police officers to missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Sudan, among others. African countries have also provided significant financial contributions to peacekeeping operations, with some countries committing up to 10 percent of their national budgets to peacekeeping operations.
In addition to providing personnel and financial contributions, African countries have also been influential in setting the political agenda for peacekeeping operations. African nations have been instrumental in setting up regional organizations, such as the African Union (AU), to oversee regional security and peacekeeping operations. African countries have also taken a leading role in negotiating peace agreements between warring parties, such as in Sudan and South Sudan, and have played key roles in monitoring and mediating ceasefires.
African countries have also become increasingly involved in peacebuilding efforts, such as the creation of security forces, disarmament and demobilization of armed groups, and the establishment of rule of law. African countries have also played a central role in promoting the integration of refugees and displaced persons into their host countries.
African countries have also made important contributions to the development of international legal instruments and international law. African countries have been instrumental in the development of international criminal law, such as the International Criminal Court, and have provided valuable expertise in international humanitarian law, such as the Geneva Conventions.
African countries have also played a major role in the development of international human rights instruments, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Overall, African countries have played a major role in international peacekeeping operations, providing personnel, financial contributions, political leadership, and expertise in international law. African countries have helped to bring stability to volatile regions around the world, and have played a key role in mediating peace agreements between warring parties and promoting the rights of refugees and displaced persons.