Inequality hampers intelligence gathering in Mali

The UN stabilization mission could benefit more from the knowledge and language skills of African troops

Peter Albrecht, Signe Marie Cold-Ravnkilde & Rikke Haugegaard

In 2014, the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA) established an intelligence capability that is unprecedented for how peacekeeping operations are organized. An All Sources Information Fusion Unit (ASIFU) was set up to assist MINUSMA in countering asymmetric threats faced by mission personnel and the local population.

This policy brief focuses on how inadequate collaboration and lack of trust between European and African forces in the mission impede sharing of intelligence. Insight is provided on why and how the intelligence capability could benefit from the cultural knowledge and language skills of African troops.

The policy brief is one of the outputs of a project that has explored the plight of African peacekeepers in MINUSMA. The project is a collaborative effort between DIIS and the Royal Danish Defence College. It is funded by the Danish Ministry of Defence.

Three policy briefs and a report will be launched on 27 January at a seminar that explores the future role of the UN in conflict zones around the world (the seminar is in Danish).