Non-Intervention: An Alternative Way for Modern Conflict Resolution?

This briefing by Festus B Aboagye of the Institute for Security Studies questions the efficacy of humanitarian interventions in Africa, arguing that they often fail to address root causes of conflict and may inadvertently prolong violence. The author suggests that non-intervention, allowing conflicts to reach a military conclusion, could be a more durable alternative in certain contexts.

• The international community has increasingly relied on humanitarian intervention—defined as the use or threat of force to prevent or protect against human rights violations—and the 'responsibility to protect' (R2P) as primary tools for conflict resolution since the Cold War.
• In Africa, humanitarian interventions have been implemented by regional and continental bodies, including ECOWAS in Liberia (1990), Sierra Leone (1991 and 2003), and Côte d’Ivoire (2003), as well as the African Union in Darfur and Burundi (2004) and Somalia (2008).
• The author argues that humanitarian interventions in Africa often lack the necessary capabilities to fulfill 'robust' mandates, which can lead to several negative outcomes: they may create truces that allow weaker parties to rearm, fail to protect civilians effectively, and result in fragile peace agreements that last shorter than the preceding conflicts.
• The briefing proposes non-intervention as a potential alternative to humanitarian intervention, suggesting that allowing a conflict to run its course to a military victory may yield more durable peace, particularly in cases of self-determination based on 'just cause'.

APA

Aboagye, F. B. (n.d.). Non-Intervention: An Alternative Way for Modern Conflict Resolution? Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/non-intervention-an-alternative-way-for-modern-conflict-resolution

Chicago

Aboagye, Festus B. Non-Intervention: An Alternative Way for Modern Conflict Resolution? Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/non-intervention-an-alternative-way-for-modern-conflict-resolution.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Aboagye |first1=Festus B |title=Non-Intervention: An Alternative Way for Modern Conflict Resolution? |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/iss-today/non-intervention-an-alternative-way-for-modern-conflict-resolution |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{aboagyendnonintervention, author = {Aboagye, Festus B}, title = {{Non-Intervention: An Alternative Way for Modern Conflict Resolution?}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/iss-today/non-intervention-an-alternative-way-for-modern-conflict-resolution}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }