Thesis (MMil (Military Strategy))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Military intervention remains controversial when it happens, as well as when it fails to. Since
the end of the Cold War, military intervention has attracted much scholarly interest, and it was
demonstrated that several instances of the use of force or the threat to use force without
Security Council endorsement were acceptable and necessary. Matters of national sovereignty
are the fundamental principle on which the international order was founded since the Treaty of
Westphalia. Territorial integrity of states and non-interference in their domestic affairs, remain
the foundation of international law, codified by the United Nations Charter, and one of the
international community’s decisive factors in choosing between action and non-intervention.
Nonetheless, since the end of the Cold War matters of sovereignty and non-interference have
been challenged by the emergent human rights discourse amidst genocide and war crimes.
The aim of this study is to explain the extent to which military intervention in Africa has
evolved since the end of the Cold War, in terms of theory, practice and how it unfolded upon
the African continent. This will be achieved, by focusing on both successful and unsuccessful
cases of military intervention in Africa. The unsuccessful cases being Somalia in 1992,
Rwanda in 1994, and Darfur in 2003; and the successful cases being Sierra Leone in 2000 and
the Comoros in 2008. The objective of this study is fourfold: firstly it seeks to examine the
theoretical developments underpinning military intervention after the end of the Cold War;
secondly, to describe the evolution of military intervention from a unilateral realist to a more
multilateral idealist profile; thirdly, to demarcate the involvement in military intervention in
Africa by states as well as organisations such as the AU and the UN and finally, discerning the
contributions and the dilemmas presented by interventions in African conflicts and how Africa
can emerge and benefit from military interventions.
The intervention in Somalia produced a litmus test for post-Cold War interventions and the
departure point for their ensuing evolution. Rwanda ensued after Somalia, illustrating the
disinclination to intervene that featured during this episode. Darfur marked the keenness of the
AU to intervene in contrast with the ensuing debates at the Security Council over naming the
crime whether or not “genocide” was unfolding in Darfur. Positively though, the intervention
by Britain in Sierra Leone and the AU intervention in the Comoros are clear illustrations of
how those intervening, were articulate in what they intend to do and their subsequent success. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Militêre intervensie, of die afwesigheid daarvan wanneer nodig, bly ‘n twispunt binne
internasionale verhoudinge. Namate die impak van die Koue Oorlog begin vervaag het, het
militêre intervensie besonder prominent in die literatuur begin figureer en is soms so dringend
geag dat dit soms sonder die goedkeuring van die Veiligheidsraad van die Verenigde Nasies
(VN) kon plaasvind. Aspekte van nasionale soewereiniteit bly nietemin ‘n grondbeginsel van
die internasionale orde soos dit sedert die Verdrag van Wesfale beslag gevind het. Territoriale
integriteit van state en die beginsel van geen-inmenging in die binnelandse aangeleenthede van
‘n staat nie bly ook ‘n grondslag van die Internasionale Reg soos deur die VN erken word en dit
rig steeds standpunte van die internasionale gemeenskap vir of teen intervensie. Sedert die
einde van die Koue Oorlog het soewereiniteit en beginsel van geen-intervensie egter
toenemende druk ervaar met groeiende klem op menseregte midde in ‘n opkomende diskoers
oor volksmoord en oorlogsmisdade.
Die klem van hierdie studie val op militêre intervensie en veral hoe dit na die Koue Oorlog
ontvou het in terme van teorie en praktyk, in die besonder op die Afrikakontinent. Die
bespreking wentel om suksesvolle en onsuksesvolle gevalle van militêre intervensie in Afrika.
Die onsuksesvolle gevalle wat bespreek word is Somalië (1992), Rwanda (1994), en Darfur
(2003). Die meer suksesvolle gevalle wat bespreek word is Sierra Leone (2000) en die Komoro
Eilande in (2008). Die studie omvat vier aspekte van bespreking: eerstens, die teoretiese
ontwikkelinge wat militêre intervensie na die Koue Oorlog onderlê, tweedens, die ewolusie van
militêre intervensie vanaf ‘n eensydige realisme tot ‘n meer multilaterale idealistiese
verskynsel, derdens, die betrokkenheid in militêre intervensie in Afrika deur state en
organisasies soos die VN en Afrika-Unie (AU) en laastens, die bydraes en dilemmas van
intervensies in Afrika.
Die betrokkenheid in Somalië was ‘n kritieke toets vir intervensies na die Koue Oorlog en het
baie stukrag verleen aan die daaropvolgende debat. Rwanda het die huiwerigheid ontbloot om
in te gryp waar dit werklik nodig was. Darfur vertoon weer die gewilligheid van die AU om in
te gryp in weerwil van lang debatte in die VN oor volksmoord en die gebeure in Darfur. Aan
die positiewe kant figureer die Britse optredes in Sierra Leone en optredes deur ‘n AU-mag in
die Komoro Eilande as gevalle wat toon hoe die vasberadenheid van partye om in te gryp en
bedreigings in die kiem te smoor, suksesvolle militêre intervensies kan bevorder.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/4186 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Ramuhala, Mashudu Godfrey |
| Contributors | Vrey, Francois, Liebenberg, Ian, University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Military Science. School for Security and Africa Studies. Dept. of Military Strategy. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis, Thesis |
| Format | ix, 106 p. |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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