Assembling intelligence in United Nations peacekeeping: between transformation and path dependency.

This article examines the evolution of intelligence within United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations through a practice-based assemblage framework, focusing on the interplay of knowledge, expertise, and power among diverse stakeholders. Using three case studies—the United Nations Operation in the Congo (ONUC, 1960–1964), the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH, 2004–2017), and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA, 2013–2023)—the analysis reveals persistent tensions between military-dominated intelligence practices and broader peacekeeping goals such as the protection of civilians (PoC). Despite efforts by the UN peace bureaucracy to broaden intelligence frameworks, military tactical priorities and historical legacies of counter-insurgency have consistently shaped intelligence activities across different missions and geopolitical contexts. The study highlights how intelligence practices both transform and are constrained by enduring power structures, suggesting that understanding these dynamics through assemblage approaches enriched by historical and geopolitical context can advance critical security studies.