Proximity of troop contributing countries and violence against civilians

UNSC peacekeeping missions are an important tool in the de-escalation of conflicts and the saving of civilian lives. This study examines the relationship between the percent of troops from neighboring troop contributing countries and the levels of violence against civilians during a conflict. I theorized that an increase in the percent of troops from bordering countries in a conflict would trend with a decrease in the levels of civilian violence. The design for this study was comparing data from KathmanUNData showing the percent of troops contributed by neighboring countries to the recorded rates of one-sided violence within a country during a peacekeeping mission from the Upsala Conflict Data Program. The missions examined in this study were MINUSMA, UNMISS, MINUSCA, and MONUSCO. The results of the study were ultimately inconclusive, as both trends supporting my theory were observed, as well as trends not in support of my theory. The findings of my study demonstrate the need for further research from institutions and research groups on the subject.