Ethical Exit: When Should Peacekeepers Depart?

When should peacekeepers partially or fully withdraw from a country or region in which they operate? This important question has received little scholarly attention. However, it has profound implications. 

If peacekeepers depart prematurely, as happened in Rwanda in 1994, the consequences can be disastrous and potentially lead to widespread preventable deaths and human suffering. 

If they overstay, peacekeepers risk alienating the population they seek to protect and undercutting popular sovereignty at significant economic costs. 

Writing in the European Journal of International Security, EAMON ALOYO and GEOFFREY SWENSON seek to strike a balance. They propose a framework for just withdrawal that is both normatively compelling and empirically sound. 

Their article – titled ‘Ethical exit: When should peacekeepers depart?’ – focuses on three aspects vital for understanding when peacekeepers can depart in an ethically justified manner: just cause, effectiveness, and legitimacy. 

By considering a number of objections, the authors also address critics who challenge the overarching premise of peacekeeping or might prefer different standards by which to suggest peacekeepers should stay or depart. 

Finally, the authors illustrate their argument with theoretical and empirical examples and a discussion of UN peacekeeping in East Timor.

Aloyo, E., & Swenson, G. (2022). Ethical exit: When should peacekeepers depart? European Journal of International Security, 1-20. doi:10.1017/eis.2022.31