Their effectiveness has been questioned and United Nations peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been criticised for supporting an army accused of widespread rape and killings.
Sudan's governemnt has accused Darfur's largest refugee camp of harbouring rebel fighters. The Kalma camp is the only one that is permanently protected by United Nations and African Union forces, but residents fear they may be driven out as the military threatens to take action. Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel-Hamid reports from the camp.