Who Guards the Guards? The International Criminal Court and Serious Crimes Committed by Peacekeepers in Africa

This research paper examines the potential for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute peacekeepers for serious crimes committed in Africa, concluding that the ICC's role will likely be limited due to jurisdictional constraints and the principle of complementarity.

• The authors conclude that the International Criminal Court (ICC) will likely have a limited role in prosecuting peacekeepers in Africa for two primary reasons: the strictly defined types of crimes within its jurisdiction and the principle of 'complementarity'.
• Serious crimes committed by United Nations (UN) peacekeepers in Africa are generally viewed as isolated incidents lacking the intent required for classification as genocide or crimes against humanity. While they may constitute war crimes, the ICC typically focuses on war crimes committed on a wide scale rather than isolated events.
• Due to the principle of complementarity, most crimes committed by UN peacekeepers are investigated and prosecuted by the national state of the offender. The authors suggest the ICC's value lies in encouraging these domestic institutions to fulfill their responsibilities under international humanitarian law.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). Who Guards the Guards? The International Criminal Court and Serious Crimes Committed by Peacekeepers in Africa. https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-121-who-guards-the-guards-the-international-criminal-court-and-serious-crimes-committed-by-peacekeepers-in-africa-max

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Who Guards the Guards? The International Criminal Court and Serious Crimes Committed by Peacekeepers in Africa. n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-121-who-guards-the-guards-the-international-criminal-court-and-serious-crimes-committed-by-peacekeepers-in-africa-max.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Who Guards the Guards? The International Criminal Court and Serious Crimes Committed by Peacekeepers in Africa |url=https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-121-who-guards-the-guards-the-international-criminal-court-and-serious-crimes-committed-by-peacekeepers-in-africa-max |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndwho, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Who Guards the Guards? The International Criminal Court and Serious Crimes Committed by Peacekeepers in Africa}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-121-who-guards-the-guards-the-international-criminal-court-and-serious-crimes-committed-by-peacekeepers-in-africa-max}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }