Peacekeeping, policing and politics: assembling the Ghana Armed Forces

• Published in: International affairs (London) 2024-05, Vol.100 (3), p.961-980
• Main Authors: Albrecht, Peter, Edu-Afful, Fiifi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0020-5850; 1468-2346
• DOI: 10.1093/ia/iiae065

While much of the peacekeeping literature fixates on mission deployments, associated challenges and the escalating violent contexts they navigate, this article underscores the transformative reverberations of peacekeeping on troop-contributing countries. Drawing from the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) case, our main focus is to elucidate how international peacekeeping shapes domestic security procedures, but we also point out that they are reciprocally influenced by them. Central to our analysis is the concept of ‘peacekeeping assemblage’ that we introduce to highlight the symbiotic relationship between the GAF's domestic security roles and its international peacekeeping engagements. Through this lens, we trace the cyclical flow of practices, discourses and experiences as they disassemble and reassemble in varied configurations, emphasizing the fluidity of peacekeeping influences across global landscapes. As discussions on peacekeeping evolve, it becomes paramount to grasp its broader implications—particularly its transformative impact on the personnel from troop-contributing nations and their home societies. This enriched perspective not only deepens our comprehension of the multifaceted nature and global reach of peacekeeping, it also provides policy-makers with insights into the broader ramifications of deployments, especially for those nations from the global South that bear the weight of these missions.