ECOWAS peacekeeping missions and their effects on West African nations

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Abstract

The relevance of the research is determined by the increased role of regional actors in peacekeeping on the African continent. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is spearheading efforts to promote peace and security throughout the West African region. Through its peacekeeping and conflict resolution activities, ECOWAS has contributed greatly in shaping the policies of West African states. The object of the research is ECOWAS peacekeeping missions in West Africa. The subject of the research is ECOWAS peacekeeping. The aim of this article is to examine the ECOWAS peacekeeping missions in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau and the Gambia, their mandates, achievements, challenges and problems. The objectives of the article are to compare ECOWAS peacekeeping missions in terms of their impact and role in shaping the future of West Africa, and to assess the challenges and problems faced by ECOWAS in improving the effectiveness of peacekeeping missions. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the authors' endeavor to characterize, using a wide range of sources and academic literature, the ECOWAS peacekeeping missions and their impact on West African countries. The methodological basis of the article is the system approach, which is based on the consideration of the object as a holistic set of interrelated elements. Based on an institutional analysis of ECOWAS peacekeeping in West Africa and a comparative analysis of conflicts in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau and the Gambia, the authors conclude that ECOWAS continues to be a leader in ensuring peace and stability in Africa and its experience, mechanisms and instruments for crisis resolution in West Africa can be used not only to resolve existing conflicts but also to prevent the emergence of new ones on the African continent.

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