Making the Case for Peacekeeping as Proxy Intervention
Abstract
Since the end of the Cold War, peacekeeping has shifted from impartial mediation toward militarised intervention, a trend accelerating after 9/11. The article develops the concept of proxy peacekeeping to argue that peacekeeping can function as a form of proxy intervention, enabling troop-contributing countries (TCCs) to advance national security interests and manage regional threats under multilateral cover. Drawing on cases from Mali and Somalia, it shows how neighbouring TCCs instrumentalise peacekeeping to project influence, secure borders, and externalise risk, undermining mission impartiality and cohesion. It concludes by questioning proxy peacekeeping as a collective response to contemporary conflict management and resolution.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Peacebuilding and International Security
Global Peace and Security Dynamics
Political Conflict and Governance
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 334–354
- Publication date
- 27 May 2026
- Language
- EN