The challenges facing members of the South African Police Services in peacekeeping missions in Africa

Abstract

South Africa's peacekeeping role emerged within the context of a changed landscape in Africa. The colonial legacy, the struggles against colonial rule and its subsequent replacement with post-colonial independent governments, shadowed by a global Cold War, ended in the early 1990s. These internal conflicts manifested themselves in violent armed rebellion between governments and opposition or militia groups. The roles and responsibilities of the police during peace-mission operations evolved from merely monitoring host nation police agencies, to reforming, restructuring and rebuilding police forces destroyed by war. United Nations police have assumed primary responsibility for maintaining law and order across all missions, where they play diverse and critical roles in the effort to re-establish the rule of law in states attempting to transition from war to a peace that produces safe and stable societies. The face of peacekeeping has changed from what was commonly known as traditional peacekeeping to being multidimensional in nature. The reason for this change is because the conflict that is taking place currently is no longer that of one country against another country, but is mostly an intra-state situation. The mandate for peacekeeping emanates from the United Nations continental body, i.e. the African Union, Regional Economic Communities, as well as the South African national legal framework. This research was conducted with the purpose of determining the extent of the challenges that the South African Police Service members are faced with during peace missions. The researcher recommends that further research be undertaken to focus on the following aspects: the role of South African Police Service members in Election Observer Mission and the challenges experienced during that kind of mission. Further research should also be conducted into the prevention of conflict before it even starts, especially in Africa.