Humanitarian Intervention in an evolving world order: the case of Iraq , Somalia,Kosovo and East Timor

Abstract

The Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times", seems to be borne out with a vengeance in recent years. From Afghanistan to Angola, from Bali to Bouake, and from Chechnya to the Congo, the World is racked by violent conflict. The reasons for this are manifold and include ethnocentric nationalism , ineffective and repressive governance, poverty and scarcity of resources. Whatever the causes triggering a specific violent conflagration , in an era of intra-state conflict, it is the most vulnerable who suffer as a result of this mindless violence. It is civilians and often the most vulnerable of these - women and children- who suffer the most from these conflicts. In the context of weak states unable to provide protection to their citizens, it becomes the responsibility of the international community to provide that protection through humanitarian intervention. Humanitarian intervention in the African context is particularly poignant given the ongoing carnage in the Great Lakes...