The latest issue of Small Wars and Insurgencies features Elliott School Professor of International Affairs Paul Williams' article: "Multilateral counterinsurgency in East Africa." In this publication Professor Williams, who also directs the Elliott School's M.A. Program in Security Policy Studies, trains his expertise in peace operations, emerging security threats, and conflict resolution on multilateral organizations in East Africa.
The piece examines how these actors engaged in counterinsurgency (COIN) in south-central Somalia, northern Mozambique, and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Williams explains: "These multilateral counterinsurgency operations displayed considerable variation in the geographic extent of their operations, their mandated tasks, the size and duration of the mission, as well as their accomplishments. However, they were all heavily influenced by six common attributes that constrained their prospects for success, and which taken together make counterinsurgency a daunting task for even the most effective multilateral organizations." Among those common attributes are: (1) partnering with the host government; (2) limited COIN menu; (3) organizational constraints; (4) the stabilization dilemma; (5) information challenges; and (6) national missions; transnational insurgents.
To learn more and see how the above factors influenced multilateral COIN in East Africa continue to the full article.