Dissolving the Internal-External Divide: Sierra Leone’s Path In and Out of Peacekeeping

This article explores Sierra Leone’s trajectory from host of the world’s
largest peace-support operation to post-conflict provider of peacekeepers
elsewhere. Building on the authors’ previous research, it aims
to nuance contemporary theoretical discussions of why states con- 10
tribute peacekeepers, arguing that existing frameworks are unable to
fully explain such developments in the Sierra Leonean case. A key
reason is that they principally focus on national-level decisionmaking,
overlooking the influence of foreign governments and exter-
nal political pressures. Sierra Leone’s contribution of peacekeepers 15
became integral to the post-conflict reconstruction of the armed
forces, enabled and pushed forward by external partners, most prominently
the UK. As such, internal and external factors intertwined to
advance this trajectory, from national identity to income generation,
international support and domestic crises. Sierra Leone’s trajectory 20
grew from unique circumstances – with international partners playing
an exceptionally central role in driving the process forward. These
factors make Sierra Leone an important case to interrogate, against
the backdrop of existing theoretical frameworks that seek to explain
why states contribute troops.