CONFLICTS AND HUMANITARIAN INTERVENTION IN AFRICA: IS TOMORROW TOO LATE?

Abstract

ABSTRACT A disturbing trend of contemporary conflict in Africa has been the increased vulnerability of civilians, often involving their deliberate targeting. The current debate about intervention for human rights purposes, as a result of proliferation of armed conflict within and between states, takes place in the context not just of new actors, but also of new sets of issues. At the heart of the debate is the issue of whether foreign intervention, by other states or inter-governmental organizations, can be used for good in Africa in cases of mass killings and other crimes against humanity. Focusing on the experience of the Rwandan genocide, this study seeks to explore the failures of the international community, in particular the United Nations and its implications on the unfolding tragedy in Sudan's Darfur region. It addresses the question as to whether inconsistencies and a lack of timely effect by the UN and the international community have created conditions that have contributed to some of the worst human rights violations, in some cases resulting in genocide.