There’s no such thing like the presence : A qualitative study on the implication of violence against peacekeeper on peacekeeping effectiveness.

Abstract: This thesis examines the research questions: does violence against peacekeepers have an impact on the peacekeeping mission? By building mainly on bunkerization and distancing theories, as well as mechanisms of peacekeeping effectiveness, a theory was formed that proposed that violence against peacekeepers would affect the mission outcome negatively. A hypothesis was derived from the theory, in which level of perception of security by local population was the dependent variable, and violence against peacekeepers was the independent variable. The hypothesis was tested using a qualitative within-case study comparing two different time-periods in the region of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Due to lack of data, the results were inconclusive – evidence point to the presence of the proposed theory and mechanism, but no conclusion could be made confidently. Therefore, further research is needed. The thesis contributes to the field of peacekeeping research by being one of the first to use violence against peacekeepers as the independent variable, as well as expanding the concept of peacekeeping effectiveness by including the peacekept in the conceptualization and operationalization.