| dc.description.abstract | What explains variation of sexual exploitation and abuse in UN peacekeeping missions in Africa across a large number of missions and over time? To what extend does a specific pattern of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers exist in UN missions in Africa? And how does such a pattern of SEA in UN missions in Africa differ from a pattern of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers on the global level? Because there are only a few quantitative studies that analyze variation of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers over time and a large number of UN peacekeeping operations, this thesis aims at contributing to the literature by extending and updating the SEAP dataset by Nordås and Rustad from 2013 with additional mission-year observations until 2016, focusing exclusively on peacekeeping operations in Africa. The first objective is to replicate Nordås and Rustad’s research with the updated dataset until 2016, in order to examine whether the two authors findings are strengthened or refuted by an analysis on the African level. Secondly new explanatory variables are added to the updated dataset and their hypotheses tested with a quantitative analysis using the updated dataset, focusing on UN missions in Africa. After retesting all seven hypotheses by Nordås and Rustad with the updated dataset on UN peacekeeping missions in Africa, I first claim that in peacekeeping operations with a higher number of female peacekeepers, reports of allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse are less likely to occur. Second, based on cultural diversity in peacekeeping missions I assume that in missions with a high number of troop contributing countries per year, the likelihood of reports of sexual exploitation and abuse is higher. Using Nordås and Rustad’s SEAP dataset, including all UN, AU and ECOWAS peacekeeping missions until 2010, as a basis for the empirical analysis of this thesis, I update the dataset with mission-year observations for all peacekeeping operations on the African continent until 2016. Testing the hypotheses with the updated dataset, focusing on Africa, I find amongst others that the hypothesis regarding female peacekeepers cannot be accepted, since the output of the regression models shows rather a positive effect. Furthermore contrary to the findings and assumptions of Nordås and Rustad I find some support for a higher likelihood of SEA if there has been a conflict that reached the threshold of 1,000 battle related deaths. In contributing my small part to the literature, I hope that a better understanding of the variation of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers will result in more appropriate measures to work towards the elimination of this phenomenon. | eng |