The past 18 months have seen the deployment of 10 new peace operations in 8 African countries. Many of these are African-led or hybrid AU-UN operations, reflecting an important new trend in African peace operations. The 52 peace operations deployed in Africa since 2000 underscore the ongoing importance of peace operations in the playbook of regional and multilateral bodies to prevent conflict, protect civilians, and enforce ceasefires and peace agreements on the continent.

In the latest Africa Security Brief, "Peace Operations in Africa: Lessons Learned Since 2000," George Washington University scholar Paul D. Williams revisits this topic, assessing the accelerated pace of these operations, the evolving institutional partnerships that comprise these missions, ongoing shortcomings, achievements, and essential lessons that can be drawn for current and future deployments. (Click here to access the brief.)   

Africa Security Briefs present applied research and analysis aimed at advancing understanding of Africa's security challenges. Previous Africa Security Briefs can be downloaded at: http://africacenter.org/acss-publications/security-briefs/.

French and Portuguese translations of this article will be available shortly on the Africa Center's website at: http://africacenter.org/.

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