Description
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) interventions have typically
been analysed through the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) framework, given the organization's
protocols for humanitarian crises interventions. However, preliminary analysis suggests a
discrepancy: ECOWAS seems to intervene primarily in democratic crises rather than
humanitarian ones. This study aims to investigate the gap between ECOWAS' stated policies
(representational knowledge) and actual practices (practice knowledge). By using practice
theory to illuminate the background knowledge driving ECOWAS' intervention decisions, this
project seeks to provide a more nuanced understanding of regional peacekeeping efforts. This
research is particularly timely given West Africa's persistent instability and the challenges faced
by the United Nations in conducting peacekeeping operations in the region.
