Of Peacekeepers and Pandemics

Abstract

Little is known about the role social media can play in support of peacekeeping missions, especially in times of crisis. Looking at the use of Facebook by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) before and during the Covid-19 pandemic, this article reconstructs social media practices of a peacekeeping mission in a global crisis. To assess how UNMISS used Facebook, it first connects research on discursive legitimation efforts by international organizations with work on strategic communication. Second, it provides a content analysis on Facebook posts published by UNMISS between 2018 and 2022 to determine how the mission engaged with its audience, how it framed its engagement, what topics were being addressed, and how the Covid-19 pandemic changed these communication patterns. Results show a conscious “propaganda for peace” strategy of the peacekeeping mission as UNMISS framed itself as a positive force for the peace process, using tailored communication strategies that rarely engaged in two-way communication, even in times of crisis.