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Evaluating the ‘Success’ of The British Intervention in Sierra Leone 20 Years On: Implications for Sierra Leone, The UK, and Interventions Globally

Over the last two decades the frequency of humanitarian interventions in Africa,
delivered by a wide range of actors, has increased. The British military
intervention in the Sierra Leonean civil war in the early 2000s is often cited as
an example of successful intervention and solidified Security Sector Reform
(SSR) as a key component of state-building and development. Yet in-depth
analysis of the long-term legacies of this ‘successful’ intervention are sparse
and there remains a notable dearth in research exploring the British
involvement from the perspectives of those directly involved or affected. This
qualitative research provides a novel outlook by exploring micro-level
experiences, thus addressing this lacuna through examining the legacies within
Sierra Leone and in British foreign policy from an experiential perspective. The
Responsibility to Protect (R2P) is used as a framework in order to draw out
implications for global intervention practice, as arguably R2P must also be accompanied by a responsibility to fully understand the legacy of this social
phenomenon.
A themed analysis of original data explores the link between official narratives
and the perspectives of those on the ground, often exposing a disconnect and
identifying important nuances within the interpretation of the success of the
British intervention. Through a critical analysis of these experiences significant
questions are raised regarding the dynamics between intervening forces and
the affected population; perceptions of legitimacy; accountability; and the
implications for R2P more broadly.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:BRADFORD/oai:bradscholars.brad.ac.uk:10454/19338
Date January 2022
CreatorsScott, Lucy A.
ContributorsHarris, David
PublisherUniversity of Bradford, Faculty of Management, Law and Social Sciences
Source SetsBradford Scholars
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis, doctoral, PhD
Rights<a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />The University of Bradford theses are licenced under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/">Creative Commons Licence</a>.

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