ECOMOG: The example of a viable solution for African conflicts

In this article, I would like to briefly present the most important features, the composition and the operational dimension of a force, which has had huge impact in the region and has established the framework of the future African peacekeeping operations. This Monitoring Group called ECOMOG was established by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and it is interesting to mention that although there was no agreement between the conflicting parties and no peace to keep, the force was still referred to as a ‘peacekeeping force’. This was the first peace enforcement mission sponsored by a regional economic organization, and this fact meant a radical departure from traditional peacekeeping missions. This novelty also raised necessarily juridical questions about the mandate and the intervention itself.