Citation

Mays TM. Police Pract. Res. 2012; 13(2): 167-183.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15614263.2011.596686

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the shift in peacekeeping operations to include mandates for supporting international and regional efforts to combat transnational crime. The paper examines these trends in West Africa where the most advanced efforts at peacekeeper support in the battle against transnational crime are found. The deployment of UN peacekeeping operations in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Côte d'Ivoire provided the global organization with personnel on the ground to support various national peace processes as well as tackle transnational crime that festers where there is a lack of political control. As this paper examines the trend to increase peacekeeper support in the battle against transnational crime in West Africa, it concentrates on two important illicit activities - transnational drug and human trafficking.