From destabilization to peace-keeping in southern Africa: the potential role of South Africa

During April 1996, South Africa donated 12.6 million rand to the UN to help pay for international peacekeeping operations in Africa. While this contribution may temporarily have staved off South Africa’s involvement in UN peacekeeping operations, it cannot be long before this country finds itself requested, and morally obliged, to provide a troop contribution to the UN, the OAU or some other regional organization. This article first addresses two questions: To what extent is it politically possible or practically advisable for the UN to devolve peacekeeping in (southern) Africa to a regional or subregional organization? To what extent will area-of-influence peacekeeping in southern Africa inevitably degenerate into peace enforcement? The article then discusses the motives for South African involvement in peacekeeping and the will and capacity of SADC member States to create a regional standby capacity of peacekeepers. Ref.