Description
Scholars are increasingly interested in understanding the impact of macro-level factors on United Nations peace missions. In this perspective, some have looked at how world politics influence the UN’s role in the maintenance of international peace and security. While research in this field is rapidly growing, we do not know yet through which mechanisms and processes world politics can have an influence. This article fills this gap by conceptualizing host state domestic politics as a political opportunity structure for contestation in peacekeeping. Therefore, I argue to give back some agency to the host state, thereby connecting micro and macro dynamics in peacekeeping. Empirically, this research is based on the in-depth case study of the UN mission in Mali (MINUSMA) from its inception (2013) until its termination (2023) using interviews, UN documents and media source. I demonstrate that geopolitical competition and ideological multipolarity can permeate peacekeeping when host state domestics politics present two conditions: a public opinion mostly in disfavor of the mission and non-democratic political regimes. This article contributes to the literature on peacekeeping and to the ‘macro turn’ in peace research. It also constitutes the first study to (re)trace the history of MINUSMA in world politics.
