The United Nations and conflict in Africa since the Cold-War

This article is a brief review of the United Nations' experience in the pre vention, management and resolution of conflict in Africa between the end of the Cold Mar and mid-1998. It describes the various partners with whom the United Nations has worked for these purposes and the different functions i nvolved-peacemaking, peacekeeping, electoral assistance and humanitarian re lief. It assesses frankly the results the United Nations has achieved, givi ng it low marks for peacemaking (most peace settlements in Africa have been mediated by non-UN actors) but higher marks for peacekeeping (both the tra ditional variety and, especially, the new breed of multi-functional peaceke eping operations to help implement negotiated settlements), electoral assis tance and humanitarian operations. It examines critically the feasibility o f using multinational forces to protect humanitarian operations in the midd le of continuing conflict. It concludes by stating the case for an integrat ed and properly coordinated approach by the international community as a wh ole to problems of conflict in Africa, and elsewhere.