United Nations Peacekeeping is based on the principle that an
             impartial presence of the United Nations (UN) on the ground can ease
             tensions and allow negotiated solutions in a conflict situation. Known
             widely as "blue helmets" or "blue berets," United Nations peacekeepers have
             patrolled buffer zones between hostile parties, monitored ceasefires, and
             helped defuse local conflicts, allowing the search for enduring political
             settlements to continue (UN Peacekeeping, Preface). Recent years have,
             however, seen major changes in the number and nature of conflicts brought
             before the UN. The post-cold war period has been characterized by a
             proliferation of civil wars and other armed conflicts within States, which
             threaten regional, national, and international peace and security. In
             response to the changing nature of global conflict, the role of UN
             Peacekeeping, too, has evolved to a more complex operation involving
             military, civilian police, and other civilian personnel. With a mandate to
             help create political institutions and broaden their base, the UN today
             works alongside governments, non-governmental organizations, and local
             citizen's groups to provide emergency relief, demobilize former fighters
             and reintegrate them into society, clear mines, organize and conduct
             elections and promote sustainable developmental practices (UN Peacekeeping,
             An Evolving Technique). Currently, the one continent where UN Peacekeeping
             operates extensively is Africa given the increasing number of inter and
             intra-state conflicts in that part of the world.
             Indeed, the extent of the troubles in Africa is evidenced by the fact
             that "the security council's schedule for March will be dominated by
             African issues, especially efforts to guarantee stability in the western
             part of the continent." (UN News Center, Mar. 2004) Africa occupying
             center stage with the UN Security Council is not surprising given
             i...