South Africa’s profile as peacekeeper: In keeping with the times?

ABSTRACT South Africa has been at the forefront of peace diplomacy in Africa as seen by its commitment to peacekeeping and its various conflict resolution activities such as mediation, negotiation, and postconflict reconstruction. Participation in peacekeeping has stood out as one of the pillars of South Africa’s Afrocentric stabilization agenda, positioning the country as a leader in both African Union and United Nations missions on the continent. In 2012, the white paper on South Africa’s participation in international peace missions was revised to align South Africa’s policies and strategic objectives with the evolving global peace operations environment. In spite of South Africa’s growing experience in peacekeeping, challenges abound in the form of operational shortfalls such as shortage of skilled personnel and outdated equipment and strategic drawbacks such as the lack of adequate and sustainable funding. This article serves as an appraisal of South Africa’s approach to peace operations vis-à-vis contemporary challenges and trends in peace operations at the global and regional levels.