Illicit economies and related criminal agendas pose a significant challenge to United Nations (UN) peace operations. In criminalised conflict economies, the grey zone around these tends to be particularly large. Missions have to find ways of dealing with this, especially when restoring and strengthening state capacity is part of their core mandate. UN sanctions have often been imposed in the same contexts – following their own approach in dealing with criminalised conflict economies. This chapter analyses how UN peace operations and UN sanctions regimes have addressed illicit economies and criminal threats in different conflict environments. Based on an analysis of the UN’s involvement in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mali, the chapter argues that the more profound challenges in coping with the grey zone in criminalised conflict economies are conceptual and political rather than operational in nature. Since tackling crime and building peace are two distinct goals that do not automatically go together, it largely depends on the mandates and the types of illicit economies in the respective context if peace operations and sanctions converge in their approaches. Ultimately, a more coherent response will require clearer political guidance by the Security Council on how to cope with the grey zone.
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