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Paper short abstract:

This presentation will look at how the economic incentives that come with participation in peacekeeping missions are leading to a growing trend of military mutinies post deployment. The suspicions and divisions that accompany mutinies can have long-term negative effects on the organization.

Paper long abstract:

With interstate conflict currently rare in Africa, peacekeeping missions are the most common type of international deployment for African militaries. Academics and international organizations have at times questioned the effectiveness of these missions and identified negative effects to the host communities but researchers seldom discuss how African militaries are impacted by the deployments. Just as the peacekeeping missions alter dynamics within the local community, similar patterns of exclusion and new hierarchies are seen within the militaries of those nations contributing troops to the mission.

My research on military mutinies in West Africa since independence has identified that mutinies in the region are becoming increasingly linked to peacekeeping deployments. Peacekeeping missions are often competitive and coveted positions for African soldiers as they typically provide large pay incentives and experience needed for promotion. However the selection process for the missions is often marred by accusation of corruption and favoritism. Furthermore, soldiers deployed on international missions work alongside their counterparts from other countries and compare their conditions, salaries, and benefits. It is common for post-deployment mutineers to accuse their chain of command of stealing their money based on claims that their fellow soldiers receive more for the same mission. This presentation will look at how the economic incentives that come with participation in peacekeeping missions often lead to suspicions and divisions within African militaries, which can have long-term negative effects on the organization. Particular emphasis will be placed on The Gambia and Sierra Leone, using interviews with soldiers conducted in 2011 and 2012.