Boots on the ground, mind in tune : How peacekeepers’ cultural proximity helps to win the hearts of the locals

Why do local populations regard peacekeepers from certain countries as friendly, and from others not? This study delves into the cultural proximity and cultural awareness of peacekeepers, suggesting it as one factor that influences public perceptions on the peacekeepers and the mission as a whole. I argue that a closer cultural proximity of peacekeepers to the mission country correlates positively with a more favorable public perception on the mission. The working mechanism behind the relationship is based on the theory of winning hearts and minds. Aiming for empirical validation, this hypothesis undergoes examination by using a structured focused comparison between the Malian cities of Gao and Timbuktu. In addition, I complement the study with the method of process tracing, using own data collected through expert interviews with 10 individuals who gained field experience in MINUSMA. The results of the structured focused comparison yield unexpected results: The evidence does not align with the hypothesis due to a lack of variation in the peacekeepers‘ cultural proximity between the cases. However, the tracing of the causal mechanism proves invaluable. It finds support for certain parts of the theorized mechanism while inviting for further exploration on additional intervening factors that reshape or complement the causal chain.